Post by TartanPhoenix on Jul 17, 2005 0:05:47 GMT -5
Disclaimer: They are not mine. They belong to J.K.Rowling
AN: HBP SPOILERS!! If you haven’t read the book turn back now or continue at your own risk.
Rating: 13+ just to be safe
Screams
The moon flooded through the partially open window, bathing the room beyond in its eerie glow. The summer break had just begun, and the heavy purple drapes rustled ever so slightly as the open windows caught even the smallest of breezes. A woman, that many had not called young in some time, was curled up on what had become her side of the bed decades before. With the students gone, she had forgone her normal “emergency nightwear” as she called it, long wool nightgowns, for something much shorter in black silk. The bed had been stripped of everything but a single sheet, but in the nights oppressive heat even that had been abandoned to the end of the bed. A brief gust of wind found wind found its way inside, and she sighed, contented, before rolling over and burying her face deeper into the pillows.
In a single instant the tranquility was shattered as hammering filled the chamber. Minerva shot up with a start, her sleep addled mind trying to place the offending noise. It took another round of pounding before her built in reflexes took hold. She was out of bed, wrapping her dressing gown around herself loosely and moving out into the sitting room. Grabbing her wand off the small end table next to the abandoned chess board, she opened the door. Standing before her was one of the last people she ever would have expected. “Severus, what are you doing here?”
“You weren’t responding to the floo. Poppy sent me to fetch you.” All while he had been speaking, Severus hadn’t met her eyes, and this, more than his words, worried Minerva. There was only one person that could convince Severus to enter the castle during the summer holidays, and that was Albus.
She didn’t bother with any further questions, instead, she stepped quickly into the corridor and all but ran to the Hospital Wing. In the thirty nine years she had been teaching the corridors had never seemed so long. Her came to a halt just outside the large infirmary doors. Her chest heaved, her cheeks had turned a brilliant shade of pink, and she never noticed that her dressing gown had come open. Reaching forward, her fingers had just wrapped around the heavy iron handle when her heart stopped and a scream filled the air that seemed to shake the very foundations of the castle.
Pushing her way into the ward, her worst fears were realized. Sitting the furthest bed sat Albus Dumbledore. Poppy was by his side, leaning over his arm. It took a moment for her shocked mind to realize that the unnatural scream had come from him as another filled the room. “Albus,” she cried, finally moving to his side, trying desperately to understand just what she was seeing. Both the other occupants looked up at her, startled, before Albus let out another deep groan. Every muscle in his body was tensed and straining, and a single bead of sweat made its way down his brow. “We’re nearly finished Albus. Just a minute more,” came Poppy’s encouragement as Minerva reached the bedside.
No sooner had Minerva grasped his free hand and looked across to the other did a strangled cry escape her lips. His hand, the same wonderful hand that had stroked her hair only that morning, the hand that could amaze and frighten a crowd with a single wave, was black and charred beyond recognition. It looked more like kindling than anything human. “Poppy, what..” was as far as she got before Poppy again plunged his destroyed arm into a long basin filled with an unrecognizable orange goo. Just as his arm made contact a sickening hissing sound erupted, and the goo, as well as his arm, began to smoke ominously.
Albus let go of another loud groan while his good hand clenched, almost breaking Minerva’s in the process. His grip released as Poppy again raised the arm, this time waving her wand over it, muttering quickly under her breath. It wasn’t until the shocking red light surrounding it turned a faint blue did she allow the breath she had been holding to release. Waving her wand again, Albus’ arm was encased in some form of shimmering box, and stayed hovering over the bed as she let it go. With a firm squeeze on the other woman’s shoulder, Poppy got up and headed into her office, trying to hold herself together.
Albus had already fallen back against the bed, his breath coming in and out as heavy pants, and a thick layer of sweat covering the exposed parts of his body. It was only in the moment that Minerva realized he was still wearing the robes from that morning, but now they were singed and torn. His eyelids were already beginning to close, but his gaze rested quickly on Minerva’s stricken expression. He tried to give her a reassuring smile, but, in the end, it only came out as a grimace. “Two down Tabby,” he whispered before unconsciousness overtook him. Minerva watched as his labored breathing slowly began to even out, and the agonized expression lessened into one of discomfort. She had no idea what happened, but in that instant, it didn’t matter. She reached up and brushed a stray lock of hair away from his eyes and let her fingers trail down his cheek. Even asleep, he turned toward her warmth, his lips grazing against her palm, and his body finally relaxed. Leaning forward, Minerva placed a gentle kiss to his sweat laden forehead before getting up and retreating back to join Poppy.
When Minerva opened the door, she was met with another sight. Poppy was behind her desk, a partially empty bottle of Firewhisky on the desk, and a glass half raised to her lips. She paused for a fraction of a second to look at Minerva before downing the contents and quickly refilling it again. She vaguely waved Minerva into a chair before draining the second glass and pulling another from her desk drawer, filling it. “You’re going to want that,” she said, pushing it to Minerva.
“What..happened?” Minerva ground out, ignoring the proffered drink. Poppy stared across the desk, looking more serious then Minerva could ever remember.
“Haven’t got a clue,” was all she said before tipping back her third glass in as many minutes. “Severus brought him into the ward a few minutes before you arrived. He wouldn’t say anything more than to put the arm in that basin until it smoked, then treat it as I saw fit. He wouldn’t tell me what happened, or what that slop was, but it worked. Whatever was attacking Albus’ arm was removed. To be honest,” she said looking over the top of the bottle, “I don’t even think Severus knows exactly what happened. And, as you noticed, Albus was in no fit state to explain.”
Reaching out, Poppy refilled the glass Minerva just emptied before doing the same to her own. By now, the shaking in Minerva’s hands had returned, along with her voice. “Will he be alright?”
Poppy nodded, reaching out and grabbing Minerva’s hand. “He’ll survive. But,” she looked down quickly before returning her eyes, “I can’t guarantee his hand will ever heal properly. I’ve never seen anything like that before. I have no doubt that it will heal, but I don’t know how much it can be repaired. Only time, and perhaps Albus, will be able to tell.”
Despite the third of a bottle of Firewhisky that was currently taking up residence in her head, Poppy straightened up. “It’s going to be a long night Minerva, and he won’t wake up before morning. I want you to go back to your chambers and get some sleep.”
At this, Minerva’s eyes flashed as she stood. “We both know very well that isn’t going to happen Poppy. I’ll wait here,” she said before turning and once again perching herself on his bedside. “Stubborn,” Poppy muttered, “you deserve each other.” Pulling out her wand, she lowered the lights before heading to bed herself.
Reaching down, Minerva wrapped her two hands around his larger one, stroking it unconsciously. It wasn’t until she felt something cool roll beneath her fingers that she noticed something odd. There, on his finger, was a golden ring containing a broken black stone. “Oh Albus, what have you done now?” she whispered into the night. It would be a long time until the dawn.
After sniffling for about ten minutes, I needed something where he was a little less..dead. This is what I came up with; I hope it was alright.
AN: HBP SPOILERS!! If you haven’t read the book turn back now or continue at your own risk.
Rating: 13+ just to be safe
Screams
The moon flooded through the partially open window, bathing the room beyond in its eerie glow. The summer break had just begun, and the heavy purple drapes rustled ever so slightly as the open windows caught even the smallest of breezes. A woman, that many had not called young in some time, was curled up on what had become her side of the bed decades before. With the students gone, she had forgone her normal “emergency nightwear” as she called it, long wool nightgowns, for something much shorter in black silk. The bed had been stripped of everything but a single sheet, but in the nights oppressive heat even that had been abandoned to the end of the bed. A brief gust of wind found wind found its way inside, and she sighed, contented, before rolling over and burying her face deeper into the pillows.
In a single instant the tranquility was shattered as hammering filled the chamber. Minerva shot up with a start, her sleep addled mind trying to place the offending noise. It took another round of pounding before her built in reflexes took hold. She was out of bed, wrapping her dressing gown around herself loosely and moving out into the sitting room. Grabbing her wand off the small end table next to the abandoned chess board, she opened the door. Standing before her was one of the last people she ever would have expected. “Severus, what are you doing here?”
“You weren’t responding to the floo. Poppy sent me to fetch you.” All while he had been speaking, Severus hadn’t met her eyes, and this, more than his words, worried Minerva. There was only one person that could convince Severus to enter the castle during the summer holidays, and that was Albus.
She didn’t bother with any further questions, instead, she stepped quickly into the corridor and all but ran to the Hospital Wing. In the thirty nine years she had been teaching the corridors had never seemed so long. Her came to a halt just outside the large infirmary doors. Her chest heaved, her cheeks had turned a brilliant shade of pink, and she never noticed that her dressing gown had come open. Reaching forward, her fingers had just wrapped around the heavy iron handle when her heart stopped and a scream filled the air that seemed to shake the very foundations of the castle.
Pushing her way into the ward, her worst fears were realized. Sitting the furthest bed sat Albus Dumbledore. Poppy was by his side, leaning over his arm. It took a moment for her shocked mind to realize that the unnatural scream had come from him as another filled the room. “Albus,” she cried, finally moving to his side, trying desperately to understand just what she was seeing. Both the other occupants looked up at her, startled, before Albus let out another deep groan. Every muscle in his body was tensed and straining, and a single bead of sweat made its way down his brow. “We’re nearly finished Albus. Just a minute more,” came Poppy’s encouragement as Minerva reached the bedside.
No sooner had Minerva grasped his free hand and looked across to the other did a strangled cry escape her lips. His hand, the same wonderful hand that had stroked her hair only that morning, the hand that could amaze and frighten a crowd with a single wave, was black and charred beyond recognition. It looked more like kindling than anything human. “Poppy, what..” was as far as she got before Poppy again plunged his destroyed arm into a long basin filled with an unrecognizable orange goo. Just as his arm made contact a sickening hissing sound erupted, and the goo, as well as his arm, began to smoke ominously.
Albus let go of another loud groan while his good hand clenched, almost breaking Minerva’s in the process. His grip released as Poppy again raised the arm, this time waving her wand over it, muttering quickly under her breath. It wasn’t until the shocking red light surrounding it turned a faint blue did she allow the breath she had been holding to release. Waving her wand again, Albus’ arm was encased in some form of shimmering box, and stayed hovering over the bed as she let it go. With a firm squeeze on the other woman’s shoulder, Poppy got up and headed into her office, trying to hold herself together.
Albus had already fallen back against the bed, his breath coming in and out as heavy pants, and a thick layer of sweat covering the exposed parts of his body. It was only in the moment that Minerva realized he was still wearing the robes from that morning, but now they were singed and torn. His eyelids were already beginning to close, but his gaze rested quickly on Minerva’s stricken expression. He tried to give her a reassuring smile, but, in the end, it only came out as a grimace. “Two down Tabby,” he whispered before unconsciousness overtook him. Minerva watched as his labored breathing slowly began to even out, and the agonized expression lessened into one of discomfort. She had no idea what happened, but in that instant, it didn’t matter. She reached up and brushed a stray lock of hair away from his eyes and let her fingers trail down his cheek. Even asleep, he turned toward her warmth, his lips grazing against her palm, and his body finally relaxed. Leaning forward, Minerva placed a gentle kiss to his sweat laden forehead before getting up and retreating back to join Poppy.
When Minerva opened the door, she was met with another sight. Poppy was behind her desk, a partially empty bottle of Firewhisky on the desk, and a glass half raised to her lips. She paused for a fraction of a second to look at Minerva before downing the contents and quickly refilling it again. She vaguely waved Minerva into a chair before draining the second glass and pulling another from her desk drawer, filling it. “You’re going to want that,” she said, pushing it to Minerva.
“What..happened?” Minerva ground out, ignoring the proffered drink. Poppy stared across the desk, looking more serious then Minerva could ever remember.
“Haven’t got a clue,” was all she said before tipping back her third glass in as many minutes. “Severus brought him into the ward a few minutes before you arrived. He wouldn’t say anything more than to put the arm in that basin until it smoked, then treat it as I saw fit. He wouldn’t tell me what happened, or what that slop was, but it worked. Whatever was attacking Albus’ arm was removed. To be honest,” she said looking over the top of the bottle, “I don’t even think Severus knows exactly what happened. And, as you noticed, Albus was in no fit state to explain.”
Reaching out, Poppy refilled the glass Minerva just emptied before doing the same to her own. By now, the shaking in Minerva’s hands had returned, along with her voice. “Will he be alright?”
Poppy nodded, reaching out and grabbing Minerva’s hand. “He’ll survive. But,” she looked down quickly before returning her eyes, “I can’t guarantee his hand will ever heal properly. I’ve never seen anything like that before. I have no doubt that it will heal, but I don’t know how much it can be repaired. Only time, and perhaps Albus, will be able to tell.”
Despite the third of a bottle of Firewhisky that was currently taking up residence in her head, Poppy straightened up. “It’s going to be a long night Minerva, and he won’t wake up before morning. I want you to go back to your chambers and get some sleep.”
At this, Minerva’s eyes flashed as she stood. “We both know very well that isn’t going to happen Poppy. I’ll wait here,” she said before turning and once again perching herself on his bedside. “Stubborn,” Poppy muttered, “you deserve each other.” Pulling out her wand, she lowered the lights before heading to bed herself.
Reaching down, Minerva wrapped her two hands around his larger one, stroking it unconsciously. It wasn’t until she felt something cool roll beneath her fingers that she noticed something odd. There, on his finger, was a golden ring containing a broken black stone. “Oh Albus, what have you done now?” she whispered into the night. It would be a long time until the dawn.
After sniffling for about ten minutes, I needed something where he was a little less..dead. This is what I came up with; I hope it was alright.
