Harry Potter 1. Purgatorio Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by Warner Bros and JK Rowling. I make no money from this nor do I intend to.

1. Reflections

It has been a year, and it has only recently started returning, my memory. I remember a battle and a bright flash of light. I remember that our worlds were once separate, the magical and non-magical, but something unintended happened. The, I guess you could call him a man, the man who sought to kill those who were non-magical ended up infecting them with magic. We were all affected, as far as I can tell. I have little memory of who I was or what I did before; only, I remember working with children. We were all stricken with memory loss, and the devastation the spell wrought on humanity also took out many of the infrastructures that held both of our worlds together. The explosion radiated out from the central point, Stonehenge it was called. It seems to have been left untouched, but buildings were destroyed and the electrical lines were all rendered unusable. Nothing seemed to work.

Pandemonium ensued, and we were not sure how far the . . . infection or destruction reached. No one knew if we could contact others, and lacking memories, we were filled with distrust and confusion. Afraid, we hid from one another. The infection took on several forms. Those with magic lost control of their abilities, and many were weakened to the point that their wands were useless. Though, many retained some notion of our abilities, even those were hazy.

My proximity to the explosion seems to have impacted the strength of my abilities. I was there, right there, when the snake bastard set it off, and I vaguely remember diving to cover a boy, a boy with glasses. I don't know what became of him, but i dream of him often. Those without magic, the infected, were just as lost as the rest of us. We were all fighting some sort of battle. As far as I can tell, nothing was resolved. Of those infected, some died immediately; their systems were incapable of assimilating the influx of magical energy. The bodies of others transmuted this energy into a massive development of physical and mental characteristics. Some grew more intelligent while others increased in brute strength; unfortunately, both contributed to a intellectual instability that left these individuals violent and mentally unsound. They are, perhaps, the most dangerous.

Others were confused by the spontaneous manifestations of their burgeoning abilities. Many cannot control their magic and present a threat to themselves and others. We are all slowly gaining our memories back. It is an odd assortment of what we remember and what we do not. It makes no sense. How can I know these spells, yet, not remember learning them

I keep my own talents hidden, unless it becomes absolutely necessary to protect myself. After my dream last night, I have begun writing down my thoughts, and I now have a destination. It lies far north of here; I believe it is home. There is a large castle there where, hopefully, I will find those I once knew. Maybe then we can return our world to some semblance of order.

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AN: If you decide not to read any further (whether you stop here, the next chapter, or three chapters in), please send me a PM or leave me a review. I would like some insight about what you didn't like, what turned you off of the story, and why you stopped reading. I notice that after reading the first chapter, very few people continue to read the story throughout the remaining chapters. Any feedback you could give me would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for your time! Take care!


	2. Purgatorio Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by Warner Bros and JK Rowling. I make no money from this nor do I intend to.

I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please leave feedback – good or bad – I enjoy constructive criticism.

2. Right here waiting

Dust motes flew up into the air as Severus rifled through the supplies he had found left in the old building. The structure was sound, and there had been no sign of leakage or the tell-tale smell of mold. The silvery-gray wooden structure was situated in the woods well away from the main domicile, which had been stripped of anything usable. He had found a small pot with a cracked handle, which was easily repaired.

He pulled back a heavy, dry rotted burlap curtain to shed the meager, gray light into the room, which, after some inspection, he found to hold hunting and fishing equipment. An old wooden tackle box was filled with twine, hooks, lures, and basic first aid supplies. The tent he found was in better shape than his own, which had been repeatedly patched, and he even found a large air mattress with a hand pump. He shrunk down the box, fishing rods and supplies and slid the large hunting knife on his belt. He had found several pairs of camouflage pants with deep pockets and a heavy, longsleeve top that matched. The pockets were invaluable, and he had quickly slipped on the articles and shrunk the spares, placing them on one of the many pockets. He had used the tabs to pull in the waist of the pants, but he still had to shrink them a little. Times had become lean, and he had been unable to scavenge much food for the last week. He had managed to trap a small squirrel, and he had eaten a few dehydrated items that he had found in the tackle box.

But his lank frame had grown rangy, and his long, stringy hair was growing dry, a sure sign that his body was conserving all it could.

He attached the sleeping bag, tent, mattress, and other supplies to a frame fit for carrying the items on ones back and then shrunk it down and put it in one of his many pockets. Right now, he was hungry. This was most pressing. The little bit he had just eaten had made him realize just how ravenous he was. He had not succeeded in hunting, and only once had he been able to project a rock at such a high velocity that it felled a deer. He searched for game trails, but he did not know what he was looking for. If he did not find something soon, he was doomed. Perhaps now he could catch a fish. He knew how to find water.

With a flick of his wand, he was on his way. His steps were light. The boots he had found months ago fit snugly to his feet, and a simple wandless dampening charm took care of any sound that his fleet feet might have made. However, he quickly became winded from the brisk walk and sat down to rest for a moment. His breath seemed loud in his own ears and his heart beat thundered as his lungs expanded quickly in an attempt to provide his body with what it was demanding. That's when he smelled it, smoking meat. It was heavenly, and just as he caught the scent, it disappeared He stood still and tilted back his head allowing his prodigious nose to work for him. His sense of smell was acute, and he knew that it would lead him in the right direction. Perhaps he could use something he had found and barter for some food? It had worked before. In fact, he had found good traveling companions until they had decided to part ways and go further west as he continued north.

He heard something up ahead, a woman's scream. Quickly, he picked his way through the undergrowth until he heard the struggle. He paused and peeked through the brush. It was evident that someone had tried to cast a ward, but they had been interrupted during the casting. He could sense, almost see the magic around him. His sharp eyes peered out of the brush as he moved forward slowly.

She was on the ground holding her face and shielding her child. Behind her sat a large, leather tent, and off to the side a small dome shaped tent with smoke coming from it. The smoke seemed to dissipate before it went very far. Clever spell work, he mused. Somehow, the man had stumbled upon her, must have interrupted her while she was casting the wards. He had found no one else who had managed such magic before.

The beast attacking her was one of the brutes, as he was a large, hulking man with bulbous muscles pushing up on his flesh. Severus caught a look at his wild eyes as the man looked around the camp and his eyes focused on the child. "That's alright; I'd rather have that pretty little thing there anyway." He hissed.

The hairs on the back of Severus' neck stood on end, and he felt his gut churn at the thought of that beast touching the child. She was small and looked very like her mother, with dark curly hair, but her eyes were a bright, vibrant lavender color. She couldn't have been more than four; they were both plump and fair, with the same dark curly hair. The woman's eyes were brown; their faces had the same childish cast, round cheeks and full lips. Somehow, she had provided well for them both, and there was no doubt in his mind that he would help her, but he knew exactly what he wanted in return. Hunger gnawed at him, and as much as his conscience demanded he do the right thing, it was basic survival that drove him.

He looked behind the tent to see several carcasses hung by their legs from a tree and stripped of all flesh. Blood still dripped from the bones into pits dug beneath what was left of the hanging bodies. Severus looked at the woman and her bloody hands; he knew that if he did not help them, they were dead or would wish they were, and he knew that if he did help them, she would be in his debt.

The man reached forward and grabbed the front of her thick, leather dress, pulling her off the ground, and he watched her hand reach back and pull out a knife from a sheath at her hip. She was too fast for him to see, but Severus knew that her attempt was futile. She buried the sharp knife in the thick muscle of his chest; the blade was too short to pierce his heart. However, the beast did let her go, and her body fell through the air. The little one had begun screaming shrilly as soon as her mother was attacked. Her little voice cut through the air shrilly. Severus cast a wordless muffling charm and launched from the woods casting a killing curse on the hulking brute before the woman's body hit the ground.

Time slowed as his huge frame slumped and then fell back with a resounding thud. Thick blood oozed out of the man's chest as he lay staring at the cool, gray sky with sightless eyes. The child barreled into the woman's arms, and she cradled the little girl to her as she sobbed. He watched the woman's wild eyes meet his, and he held up his hands as if to show he meant no harm. He deftly erected wards, and her curious eyes followed each stroke his wand made through the air.

After she finally hushed the child, she turned her soft, brown eyes on him searchingly. She must have found him suitable, for she nodded and extended her hand. "Jessa," her soft voice wove tentatively to his ears. He reached out and took her plump, bloody hand in his long, thick fingers gently. "Severus," He managed a sound between a whisper and a hiss. Theirs was an unspoken agreement of trust and mutual benefit. He had revealed himself to her through the use of his power, and he knew of no other who had gained such a mastery as to be able to kill a man with focused power. It seemed that she did not either, for she looked at him, with her large, awed eyes, as if he were a god.

This was not unlike the bonds made by early peoples, gathering together and benefiting mutually. It was basic, it was primal; he was hungry and she was vulnerable. Her beauty was not lost on him either. The women he had met since the troubles began had all grown thin, as had he. Their cheeks were sunken and their bodies willowy and sexless. From time to time he had bathed with them or watched them uncover for one reason or another. He had known some who tried to sell themselves for food. He had memories, vague flashes, of women with rounded breasts and full bottoms. These dreams were fraught with base desires. There were never faces, and the only emotion tied to them was lust, something the women he had met up to this point had failed to inspire.

The woman before him was short, and similarly well padded, from what he could see with the shapeless robe she wore. Her hair was pulled back, away from her face, showing the roundness under her chin. Drawn by the tilting of her head, his eyes met hers, and she blushed realizing that he had been staring at her body. Yet, her shoulders were relaxed, and she shifted casually to lean on one foot with her hip thrust out as she returned the favor and examined him. Slowly her eyes took in the extent of him, and the blush of her cheeks was not lost on him. His own . . . interest was obviously not lost on her. he buttoned up the top he had slipped on over his sweater earlier, focusing on the green buttons as he threaded them through the reinforced buttonholes.

He had pulled back from his own reflection the first time he had seen it. It had been both familiar and foreign. He was ill favored, and this had not been lost on him. He had received gentle teasing from those he traveled with over his homely visage and large nose. This woman did not bat an eye as her gaze travel over him assessingly. His deeds had spoken for him.

In one hand, she took the child's and in the other she took one of the dead man's. When she had grasped it firmly, she looked to him and waited for him to take the other. She was strong. He heard her grunt lightly as her body worked to pull the dense weight of the body he had just felled. Breathing deeply, he mustered the energy to help her drag the body away from the now warded camp. When he drew his wand to incinerate it, she placed her hand gently on his arm. He looked to her curiously as she stepped back away from the lifeless body; he followed suit.

A flash of silver in her small hands, she lifted her fingers to her mouth and blew. In moments, a large pack of dogs appeared. A massive, white hound approached her and sniffed. It yelped playfully and bounded in a circle before helping the others to haul off the body several feet away before they began tearing into it with gusto.

She did not stay to watch them but turned and ushered the child gently before her. She slipped back through his wards without a problem. He stood confused for a moment, as if this should not be possible. He followed her into her camp and waited patiently for her to acknowledge him. She was kneeling beside a bucket of water washing her hands. Then she took a soft looking cloth, wet it, rubbed it against a waxy looking bar and wiped the child's face. She handed the bar to him and gestured towards the bucket. The leaves cracked under their feet as they stepped back to allow him to wash the grime from his face and hands. The water was cold and relatively clear. He had not bathed in weeks, due to the cold. Periodically, he had cast cleansing charms, but they were not the same.

He wet his hands and face and lathered the soap. The cold water bit at his skin, but he enjoyed the clean feel of his skin and he rinsed his face, the way his skin tightened as it dried free of oil and dirt. He wished he could dunk his head in and scrub it as well, but he refrained and drew back when he was done to look to her.

It was her smile, the one that she gave to the child that broke him. After all of this, the death, the starvation, and the loneliness; it was the smile of this woman for her child that gripped him like a vice. Would that someone would look at him with such tenderness, such love. There were no memories of a mother or a lover, and he longed to fill that emptiness inside of him with something so pure, so good.

The moment was over nearly before it began, and her curious eyes turned to him as she rose to her feet again in the shapeless shift she wore. Her feet were covered in boots, whose tops were wrapped in skins and tied over with leather thongs. She was insulated from the world, as was her daughter, by layers of cloth and leather, leather she had likely processed with her own hand. He could smell the gamey smell of animal skin, crudely process fat to make it waterproof, and lye soap.

Taking the child's hand, she waved him inside of the tent. It was far warmer than the structure he had been sleeping in. The blankets smelled more strongly of the harsh soap she likely made. He saw the hide of what was likely some large pig splayed at the entrance.

"Please, remove your shoes." She bid him as she stooped to remove the child's footwear and then her own. They had slippers sitting by the door that they donned. She rummaged in a bag near her and threw him a thick pair of socks.

"Thank you," his deep voice was rough with disuse; he blushed at her stair and moved to seat himself in an unoccupied place on the floor. He watched her step to the back of the room and draped a thin blanket over a line she had strung from one side of the structure to the other. He had seen a large tub and a sturdy canvas bag before she erected the screen. She could see the child where she was; he heard rustling. She emerged from the shadowed area in a dark blue homespun gown; having removed the bulky, leather robe she had donned to process the meat. The fabric of the gown showed signs of repeated washing and repairs, but it hugged her body in a way that the stiff robe had not. It was clear that she wore layers beneath, but the change was remarkable.

Some old habit returned to him and he masked his desire and trained his wandering eyes on her blushing face. Her eyes downcast, she pulled the child to her. She and the child sat across from him on a padded nest of blankets; their feet tucked beneath them. His stomach rumbled, and her eyes met his and seemed to beg forgiveness. She owed him a debt; this was lost on neither of them.

She rose to her knees and moved a few paces to the side of the structure and began untying a flap, which revealed a well banked fire pit with glowing embers. She used a well-worn stick and shoved it through the handle at the top of the lid, removing it gently. She picked up a bowl beside her and a spoon and began ladling something into the heavy earthenware vessel. The lit was replaced and the flap tied; standing gingerly, she walked over to him and carefully handed him the steaming stew.

"Eat it slowly, there is plenty." She warned him. He knew that in his state that if he ate too quickly he would not be able to keep it down.

"Thank you," He replied softly and watched her skirts rustle as she filled a plastic cup full of water and handed it to him as well.

There was little said as he bit into the hearty stew, which contained wild root vegetables and fresh venison. His mind supplied a distant memory of . . . fresh warm bread, but he knew that they would be hard pressed to find milled flour any time soon. It was something to work towards, one of those rare pleasures. He smiled gently as he met the violet eyes of the little girl who stared at him unabashedly.

"I'm Hope," She smiled sweetly showing her small square teeth. Her mother's arm tightened about the young girl, holding on for dear life.


	3. Purgatorio Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by Warner Bros and JK Rowling. I make no money from this nor do I intend to

There is very little action here, but a little is revealed about Jessa. There is also a little tension that develops. Please review even if you don't like it. Let me know what you don't like (or what you do) even a quick – "liked it" is appreciated.

3. These eyes

Jessa gazed at the man, the one they had been waiting for, or so her senses told her. She had never seen a face in her dreams, only those piercing, dark eyes. She knew them the moment they met hers across the clearing. The grasping limbs, with their small green buds, had parted. He had emerged, fierce and tall, and saved them from the wildman. Hope's fear had felt like her own, and though she knew that they might likely be harmed, she had felt him rise up out of the untamed brush like the hand of justice and knew that this marked the turning point on their journey.

They had settled here months ago after Rodrick had died. She and Hope had wandered down a dirt road after their car had been mangled by the concussive blast that ended the world. Her memory stripped bare, she only knew that Hope was hers. She felt the love she bore the girl; in fact, her first dream memory had been of Hope's birth. She awoke crying and cradled the child to her like the precious being she was. That had been their first night with Roderick, an elderly man who lived alone. He had taught them much about survival and living off the land. They had thought to stay on his farm, but one day a wildman found them. Roderick had shot him on site, but he knew there would be others. So together, they built this shelter, packed up all that they could carry, loaded it into his wagon and headed north.

"May I provide a light?" He asked breaking her reverie.

It was sometime after noon, but the day had begun gray and was quickly darkening. She nodded as he cast a light spell without the use of his wand. Nimble fingers closed the flap that had held the entranceway open and allowed in a meager amount of light. With the structure enclosed, it became warm, and the light cast everything in a soft golden glow.

Severus sighed. Hunger sated, his other senses returned acutely; while their cozy abode smelled slightly gamy, he could smell the scent of stale sweat and unwashed body emanating from him.

"Is there a river nearby, where I could wash?" He asked.

Jessa seemed to mull over this question thoughtfully. "You can use the tub," she pointed to the back of the structure to the thin blanket. "We can help you carry the water if you'll help with ours." She offered as she stood to collect the buckets.

"That won't be necessary." He said as he stood and brandished his wand. He was able to stand without stooping in the center, but he hunched over as he moved towards the tub. A simple charm produced water and another heated it in the large, flexible tub that was likely used for storage as they traveled. He undressed quickly but started as he heard her voice on the other side of the blanket.

"Here," She said simply.

He turned around, aware of his half dressed state and the flimsy blanket between them. He was partially standing, but he could see over the blanket. Their dark eyes met and she moved her hand forward handing him a bundle, which he unwrapped to find the same yellow, waxy bar of soap and a soft cloth. He looked up quickly, but she had already moved back to her pallet.

"Thank you," his deep voice filled the enclosure.

He removed the rest of his clothing and gazed down at his long, lean limbs. The water felt heavenly as sat down and let it flow over him. This was his first warm bath since the world had changed. For him, there had been no time for such indulgences, and when he was able to bathe, it was hurried, rushed, and typically without soap. He used open waterways but never a tub. He sighed and fought the urge to lean back, as the tub would likely collapse.

Leaning forward, he wet his hair and began to lather the soap and scrub the lank strands. He cleaned and warmed the water several times before he stood lazily and began to dry off.

Jessa watched him surreptitiously through the blanket. She could see his shadow clearly and a hint of flesh through the fabric. As he shed his clothing, he lost bulk, and it was clear that his normally lanky body was painfully thin. His hips and shoulders jutted out sharply. Still, there was something very compelling about the man that drew her eyes.

She and Roderick had tried to avoid others, but occasionally they had met up with travelers along the way. She had been relieved to find out that the elderly man was attracted to men; being in such close contact every day had been scary at first until he has assured her that she was safe from his advances. Even at his age, he had been a large, robust man, and had he wanted to, he could likely have overpowered her. They had gotten on very well and discussed the merits of various men they had met.

One young man, Paul, had even engaged in . . . intimate behavior with Roderick, who had been sad to see him go when they parted ways. She hadn't met anyone who had intrigued her except the man in her dreams. She had no memories and no ring, nothing to tie her to anyone but Hope, until she had begun dreaming of the dark eyed man. Now she had a name, Severus.

She blushed as those dark eyes met hers as he stood. The water ran in rivulets down his face and glistened on his hair. She looked away and busied herself with preparing Hope's things for her bath.

When he was once again seated in his spot, she filled another bowl of stew for him; Graciously, he thanked her. She did not miss the way his fingers lingered over hers or the way his eyes followed her across the room. She felt them wander over her curiously. She bathed Hope first and dressed her warmly for bed, tucking her small feet in socks far too large for her. Her giggles were infectious. Jessa wrapped a cloth around the girls head and tied it until she was ready to deal with the curly mass.

She had been surprised to find the water clean and very warm when she settled Hope into the tub, but before she could get to the tub herself, he was there with his wand again. Roderick had had a wand too, but he had never been able to use his despite an overwhelming wish to do so.

She watched him flick the long, dark shaft; the suds from Hope's bath disappeared and the water cleared. Steam rose from the tub. Her voice was soft as she thanked him; he nodded and brushed by her.

As avidly as she had watched him, he watched her. Fascinated by the play of light and shadow, he looked intently as she disrobed. It did not escape him that his attentions seemed welcomed. Similarly, she lost a little breadth as she disrobed, but not as much as he. Her body was clearly outlined, the thickness of her waist, the curve to her hip, and the width of her bottom. As she sat, he caught a view of her in profile, the fullness of her breasts and roundness of her stomach. She was not overly large or bulky. Her curves flowed sinuously, appealing to his sense of aesthetic.

He caught flashes in his mind, the dreams, of women, of flesh and pleasure. He looked away and waited for her to finish so that he could vanish the water.

She came out in a thick, shapeless long sleeve gown, wearing the same large socks as her daughter. They sat across from him, and Jessa unwound the towel from her daughters hair and bound her own hair with it. She brushed the child's curls slowly in sections, braided it and tied it off with a length of leather.

Her attention was drawn to his long stringy hair. He typically charmed the knots out when it became unmanageable. However, he said nothing when she approached and knelt behind him as she had her daughter.

"May I?" She asked as she brandished the comb.

"Please," He replied silkily.

The tines slid through his hair and rubbed against his scalp and he fought the urge to purr. Her fingers collected the damp strands, brushing against his neck. He had donned a teeshirt and the fatigues, so his arms were bare and he felt her fingers as they ghosted down his back, tending to his hair..

There were snarls and tangles in dark strands, and she removed each of them gently, taking her time and drying his hair with a towel. The brushing had been sinful, but as she stood on her knees to braid his hair as she had her daughters, he felt her body gently sway as she moved back and forth grabbing pieces of his hair and weaving them together. Her body, her breasts brushed him inadvertently. He smelled her, under the soap, he smelled the musk and the sweetness that he knew was something indelibly female.

As she tied off his hair, he asked, "May I?"

He sat close, one leg tucked under him and the other stretched out beside her. His breath ghosted over her the skin of her cheek as he made sure to pull her hair back. Hope lay on the pallet watching them sleepily, her eyes drooped and finally closed as he began to braid Jessa's hair. He ran the comb through her curly hair gently until the comb slid smoothly through the damp strands. He continued brushing long after it was necessary, but he craved the comfort of her presence. Were he sure that she would not flee, he would grab her and pull her to him. He would hold her there until they slept, breathing as one.

His fingers began moving on their own, from memory. He braided her hair in a lattice pattern, and a memory of doing this before came to him. Red hair, vibrant red hair, long strands sliding through his fingers. He blinked and brushed aside the memory focusing instead on the head in front of him. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "what shall I tie it with?"

Jessa blinked away the haze that had settled over her and fought to answer coherently. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth, but her fingers functioned. She handed him a leather strip, which he wound around her hair and tied swiftly.

She handed him blankets, meeting his eyes shyly, and slipped under the thick bundle of covers she shared with the small child. He donned his long sleeves and bundled up, tucking his feet up close to his body. He dimmed the light and looked across the small distance that separated them, meeting dark eyes as curious as his own.


	4. Pergatorio Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by Warner Bros and JK Rowling. I make no money from this nor do I intend to

More tension and some action. Please review even if you don't like it. Let me know what you don't like (or what you do) even a quick – "liked it" is appreciated.

4. Everything I Do

Severus was use to following his own set patterns, but he could see that these would change now that he was going to be living a different lifestyle. There would be no more lone foraging or scrimping. She was clearly adept at hunting and preserving. He looked forward to learning how she found food. With spring at it's end, they would likely find more wild and fresh growing fruits and berries. These new patterns began immediately.

When he woke up the following morning, it had been quite dark. He heard her rustling around, dressing quietly. She must have assumed that he was asleep, for she had a pile of clothing in front of her, and she was removing her nightgown. Her skin seemed to glow faintly in the darkness, and he watched intently as she removed all of her clothing, wet a cloth in a nearby bowl, and wiped her face and underarms. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he began to see more detail; the sight of the dusky disks of her areola and the patch of hair at the apex of her thighs did little to diminish the arousal he had awoken with. He knew that he would do what he had to, to claim this woman.

He waited for her to dress, and he began stirring as she opened the flap at the side of the tent. She had covered the stew from last night with the coals and then covered them with dirt. He used the rag she had used to wipe his face, and as he settled down to await her direction, the child began to wake. Her legs kicked and she peaked from the pile of blankets at him and giggled. He smiled crookedly as she ducked back down.

"Hope," Her mother chided, "it's time to get up and get dressed." She admonished.

After handing him a bowl of still warm stew, she tended to the child, dressing her quickly and tucking stray curls back into her braid. "We've got lots to do today," She said to them both. "We need to pack away the meat." She looked at him, "and we need to ready everything for travel.

After they had eaten and she had made sure to offer him yet another serving, which he declined, they made their way out into the cool morning. She did not wear the leather overdress but instead wore a well-worn coat, pulling up the fur trimmed hood around her face. The child was similarly bundled and both wore gloves.

As they exited, she looked to his hands and ducked back into the structure, emerging with a pair of large, worn, leather gloves. "These belonged to Roderick." She said offhandedly.

"Who is Roderick?" He asked almost offensively, narrowing his eyes.

She gestured for him to follow her as she adjusted a small bundle she carried in her arms. She spoke softly, pulling her hood away from her face "Roderick was the man we met just after this happened. We stayed on his farm and he taught us how to find food, hunt, and preserve. He died; he was old and had begun to wither about six months ago." Her voice grew pensive, " Only once, he mentioned something about medicine, but he would never tell me what was wrong." She shrugged sadly.

He wondered what the man had been to her; he had obviously taken great care of her, kept her healthy and safe. He bridled at the thought of another man touching her; yet he knew she had had lovers. She had a child.

She led him to the smoking shelter. Carefully she untied the leather from the frame and rolled it back to reveal rack upon rack of thinly sliced venison. It was a very dark red and looked almost rubbery. She used a knife to trim off a piece. She sniffed it, mashed it between her fingers and tasted it.

The strong smell of hickory had wafted over them as she opened the side of the structure. He took a piece of the jerky when she offered it to him. It was a little dry but very salty and flavorful. She gave some to the child as well and tucked several pieces in his pocket.

"We need to bundle this up tightly and make sure to keep it dry." She spoke softly as she continued to roll up the flexible, well seasoned leather. She unrolled lengths of cloth and looked to him, "Do you know any preservation spells?" She asked.

He nodded and drew his wand and swished and flicked over the frame. "It will last until the spell is removed." He knew that the meat would last for months without the spell, but with it, it would be impervious to moisture, bacteria, and further degradation years from now. He cast a cooling charm so that they could begin storing them immediately.

They worked quickly; even Hope knelt by them and quietly helped to place the strips in even stacks. They bundled the containers one by one and Jessa opened a canvas sack. Severus loaded the sack full. When there were only five left she stopped him. She had left the fifth unwrapped and divided it into three smaller piles, which she tied with a strip of leather and wrapped loosely. "These are for our packs, and these four we'll keep here," She handed him a smaller bag. "For trading," She smiled softly.

It made sense to keep this separate from their larger stash in case someone thought to steal their food. He would cast a disillusionment charm on the larger bag and a ward in order to keep sticky fingers away, should they begin traveling with others. He had already begun to feel a sort of proprietorship over them and their things, and while he knew that it might seem as though he was overstepping his bounds, he was offering her the use of his very substantial magic. Up till now, he had seen nothing from her save a poorly constructed ward and the charm to disseminate the smoke.

He surmised that her abilities were likely limited to an intensive need for safety and privacy, and it was in moments of high anxiety that she was able to cast. She had likely been interrupted when erecting her latest wards by the wild man.

After hauling the bags into the tent, she grabbed a bright blue tarp, which had been folded neatly and tucked at the back of the structure. "We need to haul off what is left of the carcasses. I should have done it yesterday," She blushed knowing that what was left would be full of flies and larvae. It would also smell quite rancid.

Severus followed her quietly and helped her to untie the remains of the deer and lower them onto the tarp. The child followed closely as they exited the wards. They walked a few yards from the camp, the same spot they had brought the body yesterday. There were only a few small bones left lying about. He could see where the large hulk had been drug cross the ground, which was bare and scared with claw marks and canine footprints.

They rolled the deer off of the tarp and he cast a cleansing charm before helping her to refold it. Once again they walked away from the mass of dead flesh and bone and she drew out the whistle and called the pack. The big white dog came to her again. She extended her hand and the dog licked her happily. She drew a hunk of jerky from her pocket and gave it to him. He chewed greedily and swallowed it quickly.

"Here," She called to Severus.

He looked as she threw him another hunk of jerky. She nodded to the dog, and he leaned forward and offered the dried meat to the dog, who took it greedily. He came back to sniff Severus curiously. He walked around the tall man, shuffling at his feet. Then, like a giddy puppy, the mutt bounded up and down in a circle causing Hope to giggle riotously. The dog hunkered down on all fours with its legs spayed before it and whined at the little girl. She picked up a stick and threw it. They played fetch for a while, as the other dogs busied themselves with gnawing on the remains of the deer. They were still fairly stated from their meal the previous day, so some of the pack lounged in the warm sunlight, tongues lolling while others ate their fill

Eventually, Jessa sat on a nearby log and Hope joined her. When the mutt was tired from running, he sat at their feet and happily let them stroke his fur. Severus approached tentatively and took a seat on the opposite end of the log. The dog seemed to accept him as a member of their group quite readily.

The sun had fallen a little in the sky when the dogs stood with perked ears and barked excitedly. One of them dashed off into the woods to chase what sounded like small game of one kind or another. The big dog looked from the little girl who stroked his ear to his pack and whined.

"It's alwight Woof," Hope said as she patted his head. The dog took this as all the consent he needed and went dashing off into the brush, following the trail of the others.

Jessa sighed and stood slowly. They began making their way toward the camp when they heard the crack of a limb. Severus drew his wand reflexively and had it trained on the small, wide eyed man before any of them could draw in a breath.

The man's hands went up, but a small, narrow face peaked around him. The dark haired little girl wore an ugly bruise on the side of her face and it looked as if she was holding her arm awkwardly.

Jessa walked forward and placed her hand on Severus arm, gently encouraging him to lower it. He looked to her, and though he lowered his stance, he never took his wand off of the stranger. 'This was his family; they were his to protect.'

"It's alright," Jessa smiled at the little girl. The short man stuck out his grimy hand and held the girl back. She seemed torn between running to Jessa and cowering.

"M-my name's Jack," He said hesitantly. "Th-this is . . . this is Fran."

Fran looked down at the leaves at her feet.

Severus eyed Jack suspiciously. He could feel Jessa's eyes on him, and he started when he felt her hand on his shoulder and heard her voice whisper in his ear. The hair on the back of his neck stood up as her warm breath ghosted over his ear. He swallowed thickly and concentrated on her words.

"Please, let's get them back to the camp. Don't let him leave with her. I've got a bad feeling." Her voice trembled.

He nodded and looked at the girl intently. Jack drew forward and pushed the girl behind him protectively.

Jessa smiled, "Come, I'll bet you two are hungry."

Jack looked from Jessa to Severus and followed her reluctantly. They were clearly starving, and this was likely his motivation for following them. Severus had to lower his wards so that the new arrivals could enter. When he revived them, he made sure to construct them strongly so that they would not be able to leave without the removal of the wards.

Jessa brought out several straw mats, and they all sat down outside. The day had warmed up a little and it was quite comfortable. The stew was still a little warm when she served up the last bit of it between them. They watched in fascination as Jack inhaled his stew. Severus watched as the man eyed Fran's portion enviously.

Severus noticed Jessa shift indecisively. She was dithering over something, he mused. He watched her look to Fran, who had finished her bowl but was running her finger over the surface and licking every available drop of gravy. Finally, the woman stood and walked to the other side of the earthen pit in which she had uncovered the pot. She dug with a small shovel revealing another similar pot. She peeled back layers of leaves to reveal a roast surrounded by vegetables. Steam was rising into the air as she withdrew a platter from the flap and covered it with the food. She replaced the leaves carefully so as to not contaminate the food and then use the shovel to return the heated rocks over the pile. He wondered how many little mounds she had made. The ground all around the tent had been disturbed similarly, so she must have done this intentionally.

She gave them each a generous hunk of venison and various vegetables. Jack said very little, but when they were done and everyone was sitting quietly, Severus noticed the way the man fidgeted, and his eyes lit from one of them to the other and hovered over Hope unnaturally. Severus could feel that there was something wrong with the man.

"Is that your little girl?" He asked Severus.

"Yes," He bristled.

'She don't look like you," He replied slyly.

"Her mother likes the charm." He said coolly and ghosted his hand over Hope's head in a clear display of power. Her braided hair became pitch black and silky like his and her eyes darkened as well. His own steely orbs held Jack fast, and before he knew it he was inside of the man's mind reliving all of his perverse secrets.

He was up and crossed the short distance between them in only a moment; his hand was around the man's neck and his wand pressed to smaller man's jaw.

"Take the children inside," Severus hissed. "Put the whistle in my pocket."

Hope did not have to be told; she ran into the shelter. Jessa slipped the whistle into his pants pocket and quickly collected Fran, ushering the child gently inside. She willingly went with Jessa, which only reinforced the woman's belief that the child had been badly abused. She trusted Severus enough to know that he had obviously determined that something was very wrong with Jack. It was not hard to figure out that Jack was one of the imbalanced.

Severus quickly petrified Jack and levitated him outside of the wards. He let the man's body drop on to the forest floor. He had seen what the man had done to the child . . . and her siblings. Fran had been the most useful and had survived longest. He had eaten the others but not before beating and abusing them all terribly. Severus went into a red haze as his wand dealt deadly, cutting blows to the man's flesh. He continued casting long after the life had left the body. He was lost in memories, memories of a frail, young, black haired boy being beaten by his own father. His mind opened up and spewed the rancid memories of his childhood. He didn't realize that he was screaming until he saw Jessa appear. He looked around confused into dimly lit evening. It had to have been hours. He had blood on his hands, on his clothes and the corps was unrecognizable.

Hope and Fran stood behind Jessa. She knelt beside him, and he looked at her with wounded eyes. Eyes filled with tears and pain as if it were yesterday. She pulled up the hem of her outer dress and wiped the tears from his face gently, removing the blood and bits of gore. Gently she kissed his clean cheek before wiping the rest of his face. As she drew back, he reached forward and pulled her to him tightly. Her arms went round him, and she began to rock and whispered softly to him, soothing words, nonsense words.


	5. Purgatorio Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by Warner Bros and JK Rowling. I make no money from this nor do I intend to

This is the aftermath – not a lot of action here but a bit of interaction and reflection. We will be moving soon, so hopefully you'll bear with me. Please review even if you don't like it. Let me know what you don't like (or what you do) even a quick – "liked it" is appreciated. Thank you to all of you who have reviewed. It keeps me motivated and lets me know that you like the direction this is going in.

5. Paralyzer

The crickets were chirping when he came to. He looked around and saw the children huddled behind her, and he blinked as the dusk came alive around them. He felt her hand slide in his pocket.

"Let's go," She said gently and ran her hand through his hair. Her fingers caught on strands that were sticking together. He needed a bath, they all did. She tugged on his arms, and he rose docilely. However, he did not let her go. His fingers curled around her smaller hand, and Hope's small hand slipped into his other hand. He looked to the little girl, who still bore his spell, and blinked curiously.

Jessa blew the silent whistle, led them back to the camp and had the all remove their shoes. After sending the girls to rest on the palate, she led him to the tub. He filled it and looked at her sleepily.

"Do you need some help?" She asked softly. It was dark, and she could barely make out his face.

"Would you, would you help me?" He deep voice was as soft as a breeze in the darkness. It was like sharing a secret. They did share secrets, dark secrets. He had killed for her, for them twice. The guilt and shame weighed on him.

She began unbuttoning his jacket, pulling the buttons deftly through the taut openings and helped him to pull his arm clumsily out of his sleeves. He seemed dazed as he mutely complied. She knelt to help him take off his socks, and she rose and her hands untucked his shirt slowly and helped him pull it over his head. He was so thin, but his skin was pale and luminous in the meager moonlight that seeped through the membranous leather covering the structure. She couldn't stop her hand from reaching out and touching his chest gently. He responded with a fierce need; it was innocent in its desire, this embrace. Her hand slid around his sharp shoulder as he pulled her to him yet again. For as thin as he was, he was warm and solid. His shoulders were broad and his legs long. She inhaled deeply, the lye soap and the masculine musk of him. His skin was fairly oily and soft against her cheek as she held him and listened to the thundering of his heartbeat in the silence.

Her hand reached up to stroke his matted hair, "You need to bathe, love." She coaxed him gently. She turned to give him some privacy, but he grabbed her arm when he thought she might leave him. He lifted his wand and cast a spell that bathed the tent in a golden glow. Jessa peaked around the blanket and saw that the girls were cuddled together now quietly looking at a picture book.

She turned to Severus and helped him remove his pants; he had sense enough to remove his own underwear and step inside the tub while she averted her eyes. His hands were shaking as he took the soap in his long, pale digits. She grabbed a cloth and a large, plastic container.

"Close your eyes," She bid him softly as she began pouring the hot water over his head. He sighed contentedly. She untied the thong that held his hair and began removing the braid gently. Much of his hair had escaped, and it was quite a mess. The water had helped loosen the snarls. She fetched the comb and came back to see him sitting in a once again clean, steaming tub of water. She marveled, not for the first time, at his ability to wield magic so deftly. Her own attempts were awkward. Roderick had tried to teach her, but his wand had been useless in her hands.

She began lathering his hair gently and started humming a lullaby. She looked down to see that he had closed his eyes and thin rivulets, crystalline tears meandered down his furrowed cheeks. It was clear that he had lived a harsh life; the light and his nakedness revealed many scars that his body still bore. Yet, she was more worried about the mental scars he was obviously carrying.

She pushed the wet hair back from his face and lathered the soap on the cloth. Gently, she began washing the grime from his face, while his eyes were still closed. His head was tilted back and she gazed at his sharp, masculine features, heavy furrowed brows, and long neck where his adam's apple bobbed. She rinsed the rag, and he began to speak.

"I saw what he did to her, Jack, I entered his mind and saw it. He found her and her little brother and sister. He beat them. He . . . hurt them all." He said through gritted teeth. She waited patiently.

He swallowed convulsively before continuing. "He ate them." He hissed. "He was getting ready to eat her, and even though we were feeding him, all he could think about was . . . was harming Hope and, and you and then eating your flesh." His voice hitched. "When I . . . When I killed him. I remembered my father."

"It's alright, Severus." She said and pulled him to her. He leaned his wet face in the crook of her neck, and she felt his hot tears trickled down to her collar bone.

She pulled back and he blinked up at her. As his eyes regained their focus, he looked down, grabbed the cloth from her hands and placed it over his private bits. "I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry." He said shortly. He was embarrassed of his admission, his weakness. He wanted to protect her, and he doubted that she would want some sniveling, pathetic failure.

She reached forward to brush his hair from his face, and he pulled back not meeting her eyes. She nodded mutely and smiled, "Let me know if you need anything." She stood slowly, and he averted his eyes and blushed.

Despite his reticence and avoidance, as he still refused to meet her eyes, Jessa knelt behind him after he finished with his bath and dressed. He had charmed his clothes clean again. She brushed his long, damp hair. His demeanor was different tonight. He did not lean into her touch or tip his head back as she ran the comb over his scalp. Instead, he sat straight with his shoulders drawn. She brushed and braided his hair meticulously and rose without a word.

Severus watched as she walked over to the girls and ushered Fran to the tub. He had cleaned and warmed the water before leaving, Looking over to Hope, he stared openly at her dark eyes and straight, black hair. It was odd, he mused, almost as if she could be his own.

He heard a stifled gasp and his head whipped around to the curtain. Jessa was gingerly removing the child's clothing, and he shuddered to think of what she had found. He wanted to curl in on himself as the memories threatened to rise up again.

"Severus?" Her voice trembled.

He rose slowly, hunched over so that he could walk across the room unimpeded. "Yes?" He asked softly, hesitating around the blanket. He inhaled sharply and drew forward. The girl huddled in on herself as he appeared.

"He won't hurt you. I promise." Jessa told the dark haired little girl.

She was such a scrawny little thing, he thought as he gazed at her spare frame, so like him and so unlike Hope and Jessa.

He knelt down next to her, where she stood beside the tub. Her arm was bent oddly, where it had been broken and set incorrectly. Her body bore a multitude of bruises in various states of severity. Below her collar and her wrists, she was a mess. It was probably painful for her to breathe.

"I, I don't know what to do." He looked at Jessa, lost. "The arm . . . maybe, but," He had flashes of flasks and steaming pots, but they were vague images of him stirring, mixing and pouring.

"She can't stay like this." She protested, looking at him beseechingly.

"Well, I don't know what to do," He said sharply, defensively.

"We have to do something." She snapped.

He drew back as if slapped, "Well, when you figure it out you can tell me." His voice rose defensively as he towered over her own kneeling frame.

She rose up on her knees and drew closer, poking her finger into his chest sharply, "You're the one with the wand." She said accusingly, her voice growing shrill.

Fran began to tremble and cry, and Jessa and Severus turned to the girl. He grabbed her arm gently as if to comfort the child but she began shrieking.

Jessa reached forward and drew the child to her gently, but Fran let out a litany of sobs "OUCH, OUCH, OUCH . . "Tears streamed down her dirty face and Jessa closed her eyes and cried with the girl. She felt helpless; she only wanted to help the child, fix her. The want, the desire to heal her rose up inside of her like a tidal wave, and she felt the great gust of energy inside of her radiate out. Fran moaned and fell limp in her arms. She opened her eyes to see Severus stumbling back on his knees. His eyes were wide with awe.

"Wh-What?" She asked as she looked down at Fran, whose frail little body lay unresponsive across her arms. "Oh God!" She said hysterically. "I've killed her." She said hysterically. She felt the girl's neck, but she could detect nothing. Her arms trembled, and Severus drew forward calmly and placed his hand on her shoulder. It was as if some instinct took over. He hushed her curtly.

He cast a diagnostic charm over the child and they both observed the steady heart beat that Jessa had missed in her hysteria. Her large, tear filled eyes met Severus' steady gaze.

"She'll be alright," he reassured her.

He took the girl from her arms gently and helped her bathe the waif. They dressed her; Severus used a cleansing charm on the bedding and tucked her into the bed next to a sleeping Hope. Jessa started as his stomach growled.

"Oh, you're hungry," She said coming to herself. His hand rested on her forearm as she turned to grab him a plate.

"I'm fine," He murmured, but his stomach chose to churn again.

"You need to eat; we both do." She said softly. She drew open the flap and fixed a generous plate for them to share. Jessa's fingers trembled as she picked up chunks of meat and vegetables. She made sure to give him the larger portion. Her fingers slipped and shook; more than once she dropped a portion. He smirked and finally picked up the last bite and held it to her lips calmly. His mysterious eyes unreadable as those long fingers hovered near her mouth. Jessa tilted her head curiously before leaning forward and opening her mouth. His fingers slipped partially in her mouth; they were slick with the savory juices and lingered at her lips as her tongue dragged across them. He inhaled sharply and took the plate, cleaned it and placed it where the others were stored.

The evening had cooled down when Jessa made her way to the wash tub. She knew that when they began traveling, this luxury would be behind them. She and Hope had bathed once a week, before Severus had come. It was a hassle to carry the water and heat it.

She had begun to undress, thinking to use Fran's now tepid water. She did not hear him slip up behind her, but she gave a startled squeak as the water cleared and began to steam. She turned to meet his intent eyes over the top of the blanket. Neither of them moved until she pushed her hair back from her flushed face.

"Thank you, Severus," She said breathily as her throat and chest tightened.

His heavily hooded eyes blinked slowly, "You're welcome," He said silkily and collected his blankets. The children were sleeping. Fran had curled herself around Hope snugly. He shivered at the cool nip in the air and cast a warming charm. It would have to do.

He lay down at an angle that would allow him to watch . . . her. She was currently lathering her hair. Her back was arched back and her breast thrust forward to keep the soap from her face. He wondered what it would be like to join her at this ritual, to wash her hair, to run his fingers through it. But mostly, he thought of laying next to her, feeling her weight against him, her warmth, and her arms around him. There was a gnawing need that had been absent before her, which the memories had only fueled.

His eyes fought to stay open as she stood, water dripping from her body. He heard it slosh as she stood and the drops as they slid off of her body and back to the tub. His eyes closed briefly and he opened them to see that she had turned with her back to him. Her shadowed self was running a towel over her arms, her front and, as she bent over, her legs. Her round bottom slid against the sheet and he blinked rapidly to watch the fabric shift.

He was dozing by the time she had dressed and made her way to bed. Her curly hair was damp and fell about her shoulders. He released the spell and cast the room into darkness as she tucked herself in bed.

It wasn't much later when he felt her hand shaking him awake. He was shivering and crying.

"Come," She pulled on his arm and he rose, dropping his blankets. He grew cold immediately, and she knelt to grab his covers. Her hand slipped around his as she ushered him sleepily to her pallet. The children were still curled about each other, now facing in a tangle of arms and legs. Jessa shivered as she lay down near them and patted the layers of blankets beside her. He lay down stiffly and she drew the covers over them and then spread his covers over them as well. They all lay close, and he could feel their body heat warming him in a way he had never felt.

Jessa rolled with her back to him and nestled next to Fran. He felt the space between them cool. Her messy head turned toward him, "Come, snuggle close." She said almost admonishingly. He turned carefully, his joints creaking. Though her palate was much softer than his, they were still lying on the ground. He would get out the mattress tomorrow he promised himself. He sidled up next to her, keeping room between their hips. His arm moved indecisively before settling on his side.

Jessa reached back and felt around under the covers patting his thigh and slowly moving upward. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth at her exploratory search. Finally, her hand clasped over his and she tugged him forward until he was flush against her. She wrapped his arm around her waist. He lay there breathing softly and listening as she fell back asleep; her breathing even and deep.

He didn't want to sleep. His arm was around her, and he drew his legs forward so that he could feel her, warm and soft next to him. He kept his arms still and breathed deeply. The last thing he wanted was her waking to feel him pressing against her aroused. Though, he was on the verge of that very state. It was only through strength of will that he maintained his calm. Though, the heat was delicious. Her back arched as she subconsciously sought to move closer in her sleep. Her round bottom pressed snugly against his hips. He could not help but push forward reflexively. He finally relaxed a little while later and drifted to sleep with his large nose buried in her hair.


	6. Purgatorio Chapter 6

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by Warner Bros and JK Rowling. I make no money from this nor do I intend to

Well, this didn't get as far as I would have liked. We are moving towards traveling, but a few important things are discussed. Again, please review even if you don't like it. Let me know what you don't like (or what you do) even a quick – "liked it" or "boring" is appreciated. Thank you again to everyone has reviewed!

6. Hot n Cold

It was raining when he woke. The drops were lazily tapping above them; he turned his face into Jessa's soft hair and tightened his grip around her waist.

Jessa had been up for the past half hour, listening to the rain and enjoying the feel of Severus snuggeling close to her. She had dreamed of him again, but this time she had seen his face. The dream had been strange, and at one point, they had fought. She was troubled by the dream and decided to keep an open mind no matter what happened.

She rolled over awkwardly and giggled as she pulled her hair from under his face. The curls were bunched around her head and cascading over her face and shoulder. She blew at the strands and he helped her tuck them away from her face. His hands were gentle as they slid across her face.

Jessa smiled, "Severus, can you read my mind?" Her curious, brown eyes scanned his face.

"Would you like me to try?" His deep voice was still rough with sleep.

"Yes," She smiled shyly.

His hand ceased its movement through her hair and lay lightly against her face as he dark eyes bore into hers. It only took a moment to slip into her open mind. It seemed far too easy to him, but he swiftly became enmeshed in her thoughts. The way she saw him was disconcerting. He was both frail and strong, and there was a tenderness woven into this perception that made his heart beat faster. The . . . thought, for it wasn't a memory, was there tucked between images of him. She imagined his lips on hers. It was intimate and passionate and filled with nuanced emotions including arousal and need.

He pulled out of her mind swiftly and bent to kiss her but halted when he heard giggles. He pulled back quickly as if burned, removing his hand from Jessa's blushing face. Hope's eyes peaked above her mother's shoulders. She giggled again and sat up, grinning cheekily.

"Were you gonna kiss momma?" He asked cocking her head curiously.

He blushed and, in a flurry of motion, sat up and grabbed the fatigue top he had cast aside in the night. The heat from the blankets quickly left him. Jessa squeaked at the invading cold, and he looked down as she sat up. Her nipples had responded to the quick change in temperature and jutted prominently from her gown. His eyes fastened to the sight, the gaping neck of her gown and her disheveled hair. He drew his bundled jacket forward in front of him to hide his intense reaction.

The child smirked, "Mr. Roderick kissed her on the cheek." She narrowed her eyes at him.

Only she hadn't said Roderick, it sounded more like Wodewick. He snorted to himself at the cheekiness of her reply. She was needling him; for what purpose, he was not sure. But he saw the mischievousness in her eyes.

Hope leaned forward and kissed her mother on the temple and then used her little hand to tug her mother's face toward her. She planted a big smack on her lips. "It's how we say I love you." She said matter-of-factly.

Severus turned quickly and went to the thick skin where his shoes sat. He quickly put on his shoes and headed outside to relieve himself. The drizzle had tapered off and the sun was just coming up as the clouds thinned.

He didn't know how he felt about the fact that this Roderick had been so close with her. Had he slept with her? She said the man had been old, but he had evidently been hearty enough to teach her to hunt and to travel with them this far. They had been on the road for a while, that was evident by the wear on the tent.

Severus walked around the camp swiftly and exited his wards. He turned to avoid the clearing they had visited the day before and came upon another set of wards. He started as he felt his steps being diverted away from the area. He turned several times before he realized he was having trouble approaching an area covered with brush. He smirked, she had managed to hid something, but what was it? He turned and headed back to the camp.

Jessa had busied herself while Severus was gone. She had opened the side flap and built a fire in the small pit and cleaned the large, cast iron pot. She changed Hope's clothes and found a new dress for Fran. It was rather large on the girl, and the long clothes she loaned her had to be pinned on. Jessa used a scarf and tied it around the small girl's narrow waist so that the dress would not drag on the ground. The day was warmer, so she chose to wear one of her own lighter dresses and donned a pair of tights before putting on her boots. She dampened and brushed her hair to calm the curls, tied them back, and they had headed to the river.

At the river, she found a large flat rock and washed their clothes; the girls rolled up their sleeves too and helped. They carried the laundry back in a basket and Jessa carried up two buckets of water.

The wind ruffled the lush leaves and what was left of the brittle grasses that had giving way to the verdant blades of spring. She strung a line between several trees and hung the clothes to dry.

The sun had risen nicely by the time she began cooking the oats. She heard footsteps approaching and turned to see Severus approaching with a pensive look on his face. She smiled and patted the ground beside her. She was sitting near the fire; the pot was suspended over the flame using a small frame. She stirred the bubbling oats as the water thickened. He shifted beside her and then sat reluctantly. Slipping his hands inside of his front pocket, he withdrew a padded cloth. He unwrapped it to reveal fresh gooseberries. The dark red berries gleamed invitingly, and he offered the bundle to her. She took one and bit into it, enjoying the sweet, tart flavor. She chose a plump berry for him and offered it on her fingers. His dark eyes studied her carefully before he leaned forward and taking the fruit from her fingers. His lips brushed against the sensitive pads of her fingers, and her lashes fluttered demurely.

The flavor burst over his tongue, and the bouquet of flavors was not lost on him. He had decided to be direct. If they were going to travel together, he needed to know what had gone on, where he stood.

Jessa's eyes skittered over his face as he mulled pensively, and she was not surprised when he finally asked her.

"Who was Roderick, to you?" He looked down to the berried he held in his hand.

"He was just a friend, Severus." She said as her hand drew forward to rest on his forearm.

His eyes met hers sulkily, "But you were evidently close enough to kiss him." He accused.

"Severus, I loved Roderick very much." She admitted, and she saw his jaw clench tightly, "but as a friend, as one might love an uncle or a grandfather. He protected us, looked after us." Her voice pleaded with him for understanding. "It grew cold, and we all slept together snugly. But he was never interested in me in that way nor I in him." She assured him. "Besides, I wasn't his type." She ended shortly and called the girls and busied herself with doling out the food. Severus cleaned the berries handed them to Jessa, who distributed them to everyone.

"Thank you, Severus. This will make breakfast taste much better," She smiled at him as she added the berries to her steaming oats.

He had seen the truth of her words in her eyes, and he felt better knowing that there had been nothing with Roderick, but there was a great deal on his mind. The memories from his childhood seemed to have opened old wounds. He felt raw, irritable, and insecure. Part of him wanted to cling to Jessa and beg her to stay travel with him, and another part of him wanted to sneak away in the night before she had an opportunity to hurt him. He knew he could not leave now; his desire for her was great. He felt a sense of ownership, and though he hardly knew her, their experiences thus far had served to create a bond that might not take much longer to develop. The emotional trauma and his own physiological need, for food and human contact, had drawn them to one another.

"I need to head north." He finally spoke of the other need that had been gnawing at him. "I'm heading north, to Scotland." He told her.

The children watched them curiously as Jessa turned to him and nodded. "I've been waiting for you." Her eyes were focused on the tarnished spoon in her bowl as she scraped at food that was long gone.

"What do you mean? How did you know I was coming?" He asked curiously.

"I . . ." Jessa blushed and looked at him under the thick fringe of her lashes. "I dreamt of you." She said matter of factly as her cheeks heated even further.

Severus snorted, "I doubt that any woman has ever dreamt of me." His voice was sharp and self depreciating.

"Don't say that," She admonished and looked towards the young girls, who were busy munching their berries.

"It's quite true." Severus shifted uncomfortably, "Well, I don't understand how you could have dreamt of me." He told her.

"Well, I didn't see you, but I saw your eyes, and I just knew it was you." She said earnestly.

He did not answer, could not answer.

"Well," She said as she turned and busied herself with cleaning up the pots and pans. "I thought we might pack up today, if you're ready. I had planned to make the pemmican today, and we'll need to make some repairs. I was hoping that you could help me with that?" She said hopefully.

He had no idea what pemmican was, but he was curious to find out what she needed his help with. With a flick of his wand, the dishes were cleaned, and she grinned at him sweetly, "thank you," her face was lit with golden sunlight, which turned her brown eyes a lovely shade of amber. He had noticed the new dress, bereft of the bulky underclothes. Her figure was lush, and she looked like some spring goddess in her light, floral dress.

He followed her as she rose and took Hope and Fran's hands. He followed behind them alertly as they left the safety of the wards. She told the girls to remain where they were and headed to a dense patch of small brush and clover that was only a few paces away. He watched her set up a snare and walked a little ways away to set yet another.

When she returned she looked at him and said, "Hopefully, we'll have something fresh for lunch. If not, I've got some potatoes, but I'm afraid it is jerky until we catch something else." She shrugged and continued walking with the girls in tow. She was headed straight for the area he had discovered she was protecting.

Jessa looked to him worriedly, "I doubt that I will be able to do this again. I erected the wards when I was scared, nervous. After Roderick passed, I realized that his wards were down. I was able to put these up. I wasn't as successful, as you saw, at maintaining the wards around our camp. Will you erect the wards again if I take these down?" Her eyes looked imploringly at him.

"Of course," He said with furrowed brows. He couldn't imagine what was behind the wards that she wanted to protect so fiercely.

As she brought down the wards, he noticed the sounds that had been absent as well. She began moving large piles of brush until there was a narrow pathway into the area. He followed her into what he realized was an enclosure that she must have constructed from the existing trees and bushes and reinforced by piling up other brush. In the clearing, there were two sturdy mules. They brayed excitedly as she approached, and she pulled something from a pouch at her waist for them, two slightly withered apples. The mules, she called them Dilly and Dally, had eaten much of the tall, green grasses in the area, though there was still enough to keep them busy for a while yet. There were a couple of gooseberry bushes that they had clearly been enjoying.

When she had properly greeted the mules, she turned to him. "It's the axle," She pointed to a pile of brush. He walked over to the area and helped her to pull the brush off of the large cart. This explained how they had gotten this far with so much to carry. Her magic seemed to be born of necessity. She had come by it after the explosion.

He knelt down and then crawled under the undercarriage of the cart, which and large, sturdy wheels. They seemed to be in good order; the tread was in good shape. He vaguely remembered having a car of his own once and shook the memory off quickly.

"It started clacking not long before we found this area. Roderick thought we might have to go on without it and make a couple of travois." She said loudly so that he could hear.

He peaked out from under the cart and looked up at her, but her attention was focused on the children. His eyes scanned her petite frame. She stood with arm out and her knuckles resting on her ample hip. Her profile was sweet, and he admired the way her full lower lip curled out and her pert nose tipped up at the end. His own nose was more in the vein of a large, scavenger bird or a hatchet. He withdrew before she caught him ogling her large breasts, which looked quite nice from this angle.

He smirked, withdrew his wand and cast a wordless repairo. The spells just flowed from him and only required his own intent. He knew that he had been a powerful wizard before, but he had not had the ability to continuously cast such powerful wordless spells. He knew that if something were to happen to his wand he would still be able to cast these spells.

He slid out from under the cart, stood, and brushed the detritus from the back of his pants. "It's fixed." He said simply.

"Are you sure?" She turned to him wide eyed.

He arched his brow and stared at her for a moment.

"Well?" She said impertinently.

He merely gave her a disparaging look and walked over to where the girls were petting the mules. Fran seemed to shy away from him and stood on the other side of Hope. He went to one of the gooseberry bushes and picked berries that were out of the mules reach. He brought them to the girls. Fran hesitated and looked at him skeptically before quickly taking the berries. She drew back quickly but smiled hesitantly at him before running back over to the mules. The girls giggled as the animal's soft, moist lips tickled their palms.

After replacing the brush and resetting the wards, they headed back to the snares. The first was empty, but the second had caught a rather large rabbit. She broke its neck quickly and they headed back to camp where she skinned, gutted, and washed the rabbit and began to cook a stew. She pulled out a little oil and flour and various well used containers of what looked to be dried herbs. He was even shocked to see that she added a little salt.

All this he watched avidly, hoping to garner some idea of how it was done in case he should need to do it one day. He admired the way her hands worked deftly as she worked. His own fingers itched to handle the blade. While she worked with the meat, he began washing the vegetables, and at her direction he cut the vegetables into perfect slices. His own skill with the knife took her by surprise, but she didn't remark.

The exercise had brought back the odd memories of vials, stirring and . . . cauldrons? It was all quite hazy, and he the harder he tried to remember the more vague they seemed to get.

She allowed the stew to cook over the open flame. They entered the structure and she began unpacking supplies, and when she pulled out a large mortar and pestle he grabbed his head and gasped as a memory hit him, "wolfsbane," He murmured.

Jessa dropped the bundle in her hand and hurried to check on Severus, "Are you alright?" She asked as she leaned close and placed her hand on his shoulder. Her other hand gently pushed the hair from his face. He looked at her intently, "I use to make potions." He said bluntly.

"What do you mean potions? What were they for?" She asked curiously.

"I - I don't know." He turned his puzzled expression to the children as he searched for the image that had flashed in his head, but it was gone.

Jessa sat with him for a moment, but he was lost in thought. She returned to gathering the items to make the pemmican, "would you like to help?" She asked.

They spent several hours near the entrance, using the light to help them process the items. The dried meat had to be made into a powder. Severus focused and helped to process the meat much faster with magic, but the resulting product was rather dry as if some of the substance was missing. Jessa opted to process the rest manually as she had no idea how using magic would affect the finished product.

It took a while, but the finally mixed the dried currants and fat she had processed and made a sticky mixture that she called pemmican. It was evidently high in calories and would give them much needed energy throughout the day when they could not stop to eat.

She filled four sacks, one for each of them, and then served the thick, hearty stew. When they were done, she put out the fire and covered the pot with the coals. They spent the remainder of the day packing all nonessentials away, and Severus shrunk them and placed them in a modest size wooden chest. There was enough room left to store their blankets. The evening flew by; once they had put everything away, it was late in the evening. They ate dinner, bathed, and readied for bed. Severus was hesitant and loitered near the entrance looking out at the stars.

Jessa ran a thick cloth over her hair trying to dry it. She was well aware of Severus' discomfort as he sat ramrod straight, staring into the darkness. She put the cloth down, walked over, and sat beside him. "Why don't you come to bed?" She asked softly; her hand reached over and took his. She prodded him gently as she stood slowly, and he rose with her and slid under the covers with her.

She did not pull away when he hesitantly drew his arm around her and turned his head to inhale the sweet fragrance of her hair.

"Goodnight, Severus," She whispered.

"Goodnight, Jessa." He replied.


	7. Purgatorio Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by Warner Bros and JK Rowling. I make no money from this nor do I intend to

We are getting on the road in this chapter. I hope you enjoy it, and again, please review even if you don't like it. Let me know what you don't like (or what you do) even a quick – "liked it" or "boring" is appreciated and it keeps me motivated. Thank you again to everyone has reviewed!

Prepare for a little lemonspritzer in this chapter. I hope I don't have to point this out, but this is only for mature readers as there will be intimate content, which should be obvious.

Typically I tell everyone where the title chapters are coming from. If you haven't guessed, I use song titles. I actually used a line from a song (Still of the Night by Whitesnake this time).

If you're interested, here's the rundown.

1. Reflections - The Supremes; 2. Right Here Waiting - Richard Marx (Loooved this song as a kid); 3. These Eyes - The Guess Who; 4. Everything I Do - Brian Adams; 5. Paralyzer - Finger Eleven.

Also, I don't have a beta, if you catch any errors or awkwardness please point it out and I'll edit. Thank you!

7. I Just wanna get close to you

Jessa woke to wandering hands . . . , and Severus rocking gently against her. She felt her cheeks flush as his hand slid down her hip and around her belly. He murmured her name softly in her ear.

Jessa bit her lip as his large hand continued to slide lower. He began grunting softly in her ear. She closed her eyes and arched her back. She felt his length pressed against her bottom. She moaned as he cupped her firmly.

"Please," she gasped as his hand pressed against her urgently.

He groaned as she rocked back; he moved more swiftly; his breath came more rapidly.

"Gods, Jessa." He hissed.

She felt him jerk against her roughly and groan. Jessa was panting and holding on to his hand tightly. She heard him begin to breath deeply, but she was unable to relax. She felt cheated somehow His hand was still draped across her, and her body was aroused. She shifted at the feel of the dampness between her legs. There was nothing to be done, so she tried to relax. It took her a while to fall back asleep.

Severus woke with his hand cupped around Jessa's full breast. In his sleep induced haze, he wasn't thinking clearly. He only knew inherently, by the feel and smell of her, that this was Jessa. He pressed close to her, reveling in the feel of her softness and warmth. His fingers wandered aimlessly focusing on her turgid nipple. As the fog lifted and he realized that his fingers were toying with her responsive breast and her breathing had grown more rapid, he froze. He heard her moan lightly and felt her thrust her breast forward and her bottom back in search of contact.

She was still asleep and he had clearly taken advantage of that. He drew his shaking hand away. What would she say were she awake? Regardless of her seeming attraction to him, she had trusted him in letting him this close to her, and he had taken advantage of her in a vulnerable state. What if she grew angry and told him to leave?

He reluctantly drew away and went outside to relieve himself; he was more than a little embarrassed to find the mess in his underwear. He cast a cleansing charm and hoped that she had been asleep and hadn't noticed this rather shameful behavior. The last thing that he wanted to do was push her before she was ready. He was bound by this moral code that had awoken with him. He reacted with it as he would another sense, and quite often, it kept him out of trouble. It had also kept him alive, for as much as it pulled him to do what was right, it urged him to protect. Killing wasn't off the table as long as it was not mindless, senseless murder. Justice should be swift.

He returned to the structure to find her dressing behind the blanket. She came out and greeted him with a smile as if nothing were wrong. He relaxed a little.

"Good Morning, are you ready to get going?" She said excitedly.

"Yes," He hesitated before speaking his thoughts, "so are you coming with me all the way?" His hands were gripped into fists. "I know you were . . . you said you were waiting for me, but I'm not quite sure what you mean, Jessa." He said bluntly.

"I'm - we are going with you all the way Severus. I don't know what force or power made me wait, but I know it was the right thing to do. Wherever you are going, that is where I need to be." She spoke earnestly and approached him. She didn't need to stoop to walk, she was so short, but his shoulders were hunched so that his head would not push on the side of the structure. He looked away from her worriedly.

"Severus," She was close and her voice was soft so as to not disturb the children. She slid her hand in his, "I want to go with YOU wherever it is that you are going." She assured him. She rose on her toes with her hand pressed to his chest and kissed his cheek softly. "Don't you want me with you?" She tilted her head beseechingly as her brows furrowed.

He looked down at her, afraid to move after what he had done this morning. It seemed like a terrible trespass. He wasn't one to take what was not being offered freely, and he wanted very much to keep her. He had watched women go back and forth from one man to another, whoever would provide for them the best, the strongest. Women were a commodity and a sign of a man's strength and ability.

He had avoided the unnecessary entanglements, not that he had had many offers. He was not handsome, and his leanness suggested that he was not a good provider. Traveling with Jessa would mark him, and he was ready to defend them. He was more than able magically. With her hunting abilities and with what she would teach him, they should do very well. It was a matter of fending off attacks. However, what he did not want was to have her leave him for another. He would very likely kill the man who tried to take her.

"He nodded but did not meet her eyes but looked down at his feet. "We should leave now." He said softly and turned to begin gathering the odds and ends left about while she made a quick hot breakfast of oats for them and threw in a few of the dried currants she had set aside.

Jessa was confused by his hot and cold responses. If one would have asked her last night, she would have been certain that he wanted her very much. She had noticed his eyes lingering on her, and she hoped that this was a sign that he wanted more than a traveling companion from her. Since she had begun dreaming about him, these dreams had been wrapped up in longings and emotions that were difficult to ignore. She had no memory of any lover, and she had been without a man physically for about year. There was something about the stress and worry of travel that ratcheted up her desire to be held and loved. She was a very physically demonstrative person, and though she would not rush into something merely to have her needs met, with Severus she felt both safe and . . . aroused.

The longer she was with him, the more she admired him. He was quiet and often pensive as he sat with them. He worked meticulously, and one could tell that he was the sort of man who thought things through logically. However, he was also a man of quick action, deadly. He would protect them, and he had already demonstrated that he considered them to be his own. He merely seemed loth to vocalize what he felt.

They took down the structure, rolling up the flexible floor and roof coverings. Severus had cast a preserving charm on them to keep them in good repair. The poles, anchors and ropes were shrunken and stored in the chest with their other belongings. However, at Severus' suggestion, they fashioned a roof of sorts over the cart using limber, green limbs and one of the heavy, leather sections of floor covering. The day was turning gray as the morning progressed, and this would allow them to keep dry as they traveled.

Dilly and Dally were harnessed and with a switch of his wand Severus collected a large sack of the goose berries before they left. He didn't know when the might find any again, and he had lived on meager pickings long enough that he knew the value of having something put by. Even though they had plenty of jerky, they would need more than the dried meat to keep them healthy.

The road away from the camp was covered in dirt and heavily rutted. It seemed quite deserted as they set out on their way. He reflected on his journey up to this point. Since the battle at Stonehenge, he had tried to avoid the larger settlements. Initially, he had gotten caught up in the ensuing fray and panic. They had all gone in search of supplies, pillaging the homes of the dead and vacant shops. He had searched for recognizable faces, but none had presented themselves. Avoiding conflict seemed most important, and the winding way he had taken had eaten up a great deal of his time. He had spent a month backtracking in order to avoid a settlement of wildmen far south of here.

He had headed west from Gloucester almost a month ago and had fallen ill. His companion had eventually left him in an old shack. He had survived on canned beans that he had horded. As quickly as it had come on, the sickness passed, leaving him weak in upon its desertion. He had thought to travel through less densely populated areas. Subsequently, it was meager pickings; there were few homes or stores to loot. However, those he had found had been left untouched by others.

He looked to Jessa, who sat next to him up front. The children were seated behind them in the covered cart. Hope had pulled out a book and was reading fairly well to Fran, who had her arm tucked around Hope's waist. Since they had taken her in, the two young girls had been inseparable. Though Fran was a little older than Hope, the young, curly headed girl seemed to be the one leading the older girl around.

They passed several main roads and avoided them as long as they could. Severus suspected this road would eventually empty out on a main thoroughfare, but he intended to take it as long as they could. They drove at a modest pace to go easy on the mules and the cart. Towards the latter part of the afternoon, they passed an elderly man who refused a ride and warned them to be wary of sinners. They made no comment but went swiftly on their way.

The evening was coming on quickly, and they had debated on whether to sleep in the cart or put up the tent. Fortune smiled down on them when Severus spotted an overgrown lane. He parked the cart behind a thick patch of dusk and went ahead to check out what was ahead. He was only gone a few minutes, but when he peaked his head out of the bushes he was smiling.

"I've found something," He said enigmatically as he drove the cart down the narrow lane. They made their way slowly, as the branches had grown over the road. Severus did not disturb most of the brush near the entrance to the lane, but when he was sure that it would not draw attention, he cleared the way for their passage. Dilly and Dallly were both very appreciative and nickered happily.

He pulled the wagon around a rather large tree and revealed a small cottage. He drove the wagon behind the building. They brought their things inside and began to explore. The girls followed behind them quietly.

"It is deserted," Severus spoke into the darkness.

Jessa flicked the light switch out of curiosity but nothing happened. There was an old fashioned stove in the kitchen and logs stacked high next to it. The larder was filled with dried and canned goods, and Jessa grinned at Severus.

"We're in luck." She wagged her eyebrows at him and lit a fire in the stove. Upon further exploration, they found that the boiler was a wood burning unit. They began a fire quickly in order to heat the unit. The convenience was a novelty. Severus could very well provide all of the heated water they needed, but this would allow him to take a hot shower should he choose.

Severus had warded the cottage heavily, so they were not worried about being disturbed. Though life had not been as hard for them as it had for many others, Jessa wanted to take advantage of all of the conveniences available to them while they were here. She found a washing machine, but without electricity it was useless. However, she found a hand washing unit in the storage room. It had a washboard and a wringer, and there was even powdered soap.

"Would you like me to wash your clothes?" She smiled at him with bright eyes. Severus nodded eagerly.

They searched the house first and found clothes that would fit them both. It was clear that there had been an elderly couple living here. The pants that he found were a little loose and a little short, but they would do. There were lots of warm items including sweat shirts and long johns. The dresses she found were a little large, but serviceable.

The biggest treasures were hidden in the bathrooms. The tubs were large and each equipped with showers. The lady of the house had evidently been fond of lotions and soaps, for there were many varieties. Jessa horded all but a couple away in their box. She had set some beans to soak in the kitchen. A quick look out back revealed a large overgrown garden. There was an enormous patch where the potatoes had taken over the yard as well.

They all went out together and began gathering all that they could carry in the baskets they found. There were some early peas and a great many small carrots to be had. Everything was growing out of control, and most of it was not ready to harvest. However there were several fruit trees blooming and even a tree laden with small, tart apples. Hidden behind a shed, which they pillaged for various implements, the found blueberry bushes.

The brought their haul in and Severus returned to pick more apples while the girls raided the blueberry bushes. When he was done, he quietly walked to the shed and peaked around the corner to watch them.

Jessa giggled, "Hope, you've got it all over you!"

Fran giggled and shoved more berries in her own blue ringed mouth.

"You girls are a mess. Come on, you'll spoil your dinner if you eat any more." Jessa said as she rose and picked up the basket. Tonight would be a long night. She intended on drying much of the fruit for preservation. She had a great deal of work to do.

"First, let's get you bathed, and then I need to finish dinner." She smiled at them.

Severus came around the corner slowly and Jessa nearly ran into him. He reached forward and grabbed the basket from her.

"Oh!" She exclaimed as the girls giggled up at him with their stained faces and purpled hands.

"I see you've been busy." He smirked and arched a brow at Hope and Fran.

Fran ducked her head shyly as she stepped behind Hope, who grinned toothily at Severus. "Bwewbewies!" She exclaimed and giggled infectiously. "Momma is gowing to make a pie!" She screeched and ran to the cottage. Fran flew after her.

"Hope!" Jessa exclaimed and ran after the child, leaving Severus to make his moderate pace behind them.

He took a circuitous route around the garden to check the snares that Jessa had set. He had managed to make one of his own after several tries. There were two fat rabbits caught. He quickly pulled them free and snapped their necks matter-of-factly.

Jessa jumped excitedly as he carried the hares in. He was more than pleased by her . . . exuberant reaction and not in the least because of the physiological effects of such a reaction. She skipped over to him jauntily, breasts bouncing a little at her saucy steps, and took the rabbits to the sink.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" He asked as his gaze took in the two girls who had been chastened for running off so foolishly.

He sat down by the girls, and Jessa brought him a cutting board and various root vegetables to cut up. They were fresh from the garden and washed. There were even green onions and some new greens for a salad. He had not eaten anything green in . . . he couldn't remember when.

"We'll have to check the garden again tomorrow morning before we leave to make sure we got everything. I've bundled up some of the greens; if you don't mind working your magic, they should last for some time. It will be nice to have a little variety in our diet." She spoke over her shoulder as she cleaned the rabbits. She took the leavings out along with some of the Jerky and blew her whistle. As they had traveled throughout the day, she had blown her whistle. The pack had followed them through the woods near the road. The large white dog had made his way to them several times throughout the day. They had evidently traveled this way for quite some time. Though the pickings were meager, only two rabbits, there was no fighting. The dogs were accomplished hunters by now, and while they enjoyed the fruits of Jessa's labors, they did not rely on them solely.

There were two bitches in heat, and they were allowed to eat what was left of the rabbits. Jessa gave the pack leader a hunk of jerky and left several other strips for whichever dogs wanted to fight over it. She went back inside leaving the good natured growling behind her. The dogs stayed in the back yard that night, and throughout the evening they heard howling and small fights break out.

After she had put supper on the stove, the beans had been cooked in a pressure cooker and were cooking down as the rabbit cooked in its own gravy. Hope and Fran had learned to prepare rice, and the large pot of grains was soaking on the counter. It would wait until the rabbit had cooked longer.

The kitchen was filled with wonderful smells when they all decided to clean themselves for the evening. Jessa filled the wash basin and let their clothes soak while they tended to their baths.

The bathroom off the master bedroom was large for such a small cottage. The facilities Severus used were not as commodious, but they were far better than he was use to. He chose to bathe while they did rather than waiting for the master bath to become free. He had taken his time in the shower, which had still been far quicker than the girls were moving, and he had begun to shave his face manually when he heard the screaming. Though he charmed his face free of hair every day, there was something relaxing in a nice shave.

The razor clattered into the sink, and his still damp feet left prints on the floor as he ran into the master bed room, threw open the bathroom door and looked wildly about the bathroom. Jessa was screaming as if she had been stabbed. Hope was giggling riotously; her sodden curls swished about her head as she poured another pitcher of what was evidently very cold water over Jessa's head.

There were bubbles everywhere, and the girls had evidently been cleaned. However their hands and mouths remained stained. The bubbles that had covered Jessa had now been washed away. The plump woman's hands were over her face as she wiped the water from her eyes.

"Hope!" She squealed.

Severus was frozen at the door by the sight of her kneeling in the frothy water like some full figured nymph. There was no doubt that the water had been very . . . very cold. Her full breasts were lovely in the candlelight, which gleamed on her wet body.

"I - I thought someone was hurt." He said as he fought to focus on her face and not the dark thatch of curls peaking out of the water.

She had thrown her hands over her breast when she had registered that he was in the room, but the rest of her was slowly burning itself into his mind. He blushed and his mouth opened and closed a couple of times.

Hope giggled, Fran ducked behind a pile of bubbles, and Jessa stood and reached for a towel. She nearly fell, and Severus stepped forward, grabbed the towel and handed it to her. However, this was not before he had gotten another eye full. If only the children had been asleep in another room, he mourned the missed opportunity.

He turned swiftly.

"Thank you," Jessa said and giggled nervously, "I'm sorry we startled you, but thank you for coming." She said to his pale skinned back. She admired the contrast between it and the stark blackness of his hair.

"You're welcome, He said over his shoulder.

Dinner was a quiet affair, and afterwards the girls enjoyed playing on the floor with the crude dolls they had found in one of the closets. Jessa had made a small blueberry pie as an indulgence, and he nearly moaned as the sweet, rich cobbler hit his tongue. He had not had something so decadent in a very long time. The girls overindulged and lay on the floor in what looked to be a sugar induced coma as he and Jessa processed some of the fruit. It wasn't technically necessary, as he could use a stasis charm on them, but it would also make it easier to trade these items should the need arise. And, if something happened to him, they would be able to use the preserved fruit for some time to come. He shuddered to think about that eventuality. He intended on seeing them both to safety, finding that boy, and making sure the snake was long gone.

When they had put everything away, they adjourned to the master bedroom. The girls snuggled sleepily next to Jessa. Severus thought to make a pallet on the floor, but Jessa patted the bed.

"Come on, Severus. There is plenty of room." He lay down next to her and waited for her to fall asleep before he placed a pillow between them. He had no intention of taking advantage of the situation, coherent or not, particularly with the children so nearby.

That night he was awaken by a scuffle in the back yard. The dogs were upset over something. He looked out of the window but could see nothing. A quick homenum revelio showed that no one was there. He returned to bed sleepily and snuggled under the warm covers.

That morning they loaded the cart quickly. The sun had risen a little by the time they were through gathering all that they had found. They took every supply that they could use including laundry soap, bedspreads, clothing, extra boots, utensils, and even the pillows. With Severus' ability to miniaturize things, packing things away was a snap.

They brought a basket back out to the garden and set the snares at the far end of the yard while they worked. They were not hopeful that they would catch anything, but it was possible. The darkness of the woods still shadowed that end of the garden and shaded it from the coming dawn. They worked swiftly collecting the produce.

"Alright, that's it. Let's go check the snares." Jessa said as she headed to the still shadowed vegetation. Severus and the girls were only a few steps behind her when she reached the first snare. She did not see the hulking limb that reached out of the shadows or the venomous pincers.

Hope screamed and Severus gripped the sharpened garden hoe tightly as he surged forward.


	8. Purgatorio Chapter 8

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by Warner Bros and JK Rowling. I make no money from this nor do I intend to

Well, we're back in business. We had a little bump in the road, but here is the resolution you were waiting for. We'll be moving forward again next chapter. I decided not to put more in this chapter so that I could post it quicker. It's still substantial, and I didn't want it to grow to mammoth proportions. Please review even if you don't like it. Let me know what you don't like (or what you do) even a quick – "liked it" or "boring" is appreciated and it keeps me motivated. Thank you again to everyone has reviewed! (Chapter Title – Poison – Alice Cooper)

8. Poison

Severus drove the hoe into the massive femur of the chitinous exoskeleton of the beast as the limb reached forward. It was severed quickly and is momentum carried the hoe forward embedding it in the creature's head. He tugged repeatedly before it pulled free. The creature squealed and backed away. He grabbed Jessa's arm and pulled, but before they could scramble away, several more of the creatures exited the brush. They were not as large as the first, but these spiders, acromantula, it came to him, were almost as large as their cart.

Jessa was scuttling back when the next spider attacked. Its chelicera clicked as it sought purchase in her flesh in an effort to inject its venom. Her leg jerked back but not before she was scraped across her bare calf.

Hope shrieked and raced forward. "NO!" Jessa yelled and Severus reacted without thinking jumping over Jessa to grab Hope. He landed on his side with the girl tucked in his arms. He was laying half over Jessa when it happened. The flash of light was breathtaking, and he tucked Hope's head beneath his chin as he turned toward Jessa.

When he opened his eyes, he saw that Fran had run forward and was holding on to Jessa with one hand and reaching for Hope with another.

The spiders had drawn back, but when they failed to leave, Fran stood and shook her fist threateningly. One of the foolhardy beasts surged forward and the little girl yelled incoherently and thrust her fists forward. The explosion was deafening, it only took moments for the goop and pieces of exoskeleton to begin raining down on them. The other creatures fled immediately, and Fran dropped to her knees limply.

When his hearing returned, he heard Hope's cries for her mother. She was squirming against his arms, trying to get to her mother. He let go, and she raced to Jessa, who lay stunned on the ground. He rose quickly and helped her to her feet, but her let had already begun to swell. He grabbed under her arm and helped her back into the house. The children followed them, and Fran was trying to calm Hope as she cried incoherently.

Severus helped her to the bathroom where he helped her to remove her boots. The scratch had only been superficial, and the spider had not injected her with venom. However, there had been enough dried, concentrated poison on the large fangs to get into the wound. It had quickly gotten into her bloodstream and was circulating throughout her body. His hands trembled as he reached into his emergency pack looking for anything that might help. He had a bottle of whisky and poured part of it on the wound, but this did little to help her.

"Fuck," He hissed. "Shit," His head throbbed and he grabbed the bridge of his nose as the memories flooded his mind. In the memory he was lecturing, "bezoar. . . " he shouted and opened his eyes.

He emptied the pack and dug through the contents with nervous fingers. Frustrated, he gritted his teeth and drew back, pushing his hair from his face. His eyes looked at her wildly, "Accio!" He yelled and stretched out his hand. The small stone flew into his hand. He had been puzzled when he found the odd lump in his jacket pocket, but he had held on to it as he had most things, picking them up here and there.

He thrust his hand to her and ordered, "swallow it," sternly.

Jessa looked at the strange looking rock in Severus hand and took it gingerly. Her eyes felt heavy and she was sweating. He was beginning to grow fuzzy.

"Swallow it!" He yelled and took the bezoar from her hand and put it in her mouth. He grabbed the soap dish and filled it full of water. Small grains of dust swirled in the liquid. He rinsed it quickly and filled it again. Holding it to her lips he bid her drink.

Jessa fought to keep her eyes open and swallow. Her throat moved convulsively as the large stone seemed to get caught in her throat.

Severus pleaded with her softly, "swallow it, swallow it," his silky voice hissed. His long fingers massaged her throat as he slipped his arm behind her back. He worked intently until she swallowed then slid his hands under her body and carried her to the bedroom. The girls followed; the only sound was Hope's sniffling. The little girl crawled on the bed beside her mother. Severus went back into the bathroom and wet a washcloth; he wiped off her face and spoke to her gently.

Jessa was unresponsive, and he could only kneel by the bed and hope that the bezoar eventually removed most of the poison from her system. He slid his hand through hers and held it tightly while Hope cried softly. Fran sat up beside the girl stroking her wild hair. He looked up into Fran's dark eyes worriedly. "Thank you," He said earnestly. If it had not been for Fran, they may all have died. Fran did not reply; she merely nodded and lay down next to Hope.

He spent the day whispering, pleading to an incoherent Jessa. Her fever had begun to spike later in the afternoon, and he put her, clothes and all, into a cold bath of water. Wandlessly he kept the temperature of the water down.

Jessa was shivering and she opened her eyes, "Severus, I'm so cold." She chattered.

"Alright, Jessa. I'll warm you up." He said gently as he let the water out. He cast and dried her clothes and lifted her from the tub gently. Her fever seemed to wane as the evening drew on.

Severus rose and went to the cart and removed their things. He wasn't sure how long they would be here, but they would not be leaving tomorrow. His heart still felt as if it were in his throat. He looked to the garden and images of Jessa and that large spider flew through his mind. His muscles ached from the tensing caused by his anxiety. He breathed deeply, and once things were stored in the cottage, he pulled out several containers. He made several plates of beans and rice, put them on a tray, and brought them upstairs. The girls sat up drowsily when he woke them. Fran dug in heartily, but Hope had to be prodded to eat.

Severus propped Jessa up with several pillows. "Jessa?" He called to her, hoping to wake her. "Jessa? I need you to open your eyes." He coaxed.

Jessa stirred uneasily and her eyes fluttered. "Severus?" He croaked.

Severus lifted a glass of water to her lips. "Drink," He ordered her softly.

Jessa leaned forward and placed her uncoordinated hand on the class. Severus helped her drink half of the glass.

"Are you hungry?" He was worried that she would lapse back into the fever. His hand ghosted over her face and lingered over her forehead. She felt a little war, and a diagnostic charm revealed that it was only mildly elevated.

"Yes, but I've got a real headache." She said as she puckered her brow.

Severus chuckled, though it was more out of anxiety than humor. He went to the bathroom and returned the items to his pack and pulled out a bottle of pain reliever. It was a prescription he had found while digging through one of the many abandoned homes he had found.

He gave her half of the pill, hoping that there would be no bad reactions. "You aren't allergic to anything?" He asked worriedly.

Jessa giggled, "Not that I can remember." She said and tried to take a bite. Her arm and hand, however, were not cooperating.

Severus took the spoon from her hand and began feeding her slowly. The girls had finished and sat their bowls on the bedside table. Hope was once again tucked up by her mother quietly, and Fran was curled up near Hope, like a frail shadow.

Jessa looked to the girls and smiled, running her wobbly hand over their pale faces. "Thank you," She said to the mute Fran, who smiled tremulously at the curly haired woman.

Severus took her dishes when she was done and returned to the bedroom to find them all asleep. Jessa had moved toward the center of the large bed, leaving him plenty of room to climb in, but he was too nervous to sleep at this point. He searched Jessa's pocket and fished out the whistle. Purposefully, he walked to the back yard; he could see nothing in the thick woods behind the house, but he suspected that the creatures would not soon forget what had happened. He blew the whistle and waited. Within moments, the pack arrived and noticed the odd smell. He walked to where several of them snuffles around the edge of the dense brush. The sun now shone brightly down on the garden, which he had helped to thin out with the use of magic. The rows were neat, and the plants, though many had seeded out of their rows, were growing happily up their individual poles. It was disconcerting, this charming little garden juxtaposed with the memories of the morning. They would be back; acromantula did not easily forget. They were likely hungry, and there was a meal just sitting in that cottage that had gotten away. The missing occupants were not such a mystery now. It was quite likely that they had become a very easy meal for these vicious creatures.

Severus wasn't sure if the dogs would be able to get through the wards, and he did not want them to be harmed by the venomous spiders. He had warded the area about the mules heavily in order to keep them safe. They were happily munching on thistles. Severus had set out all of their snares earlier before preparing lunch for Jessa and the girls. It seemed that the spiders were biding their time until evening. All five snares around the garden were full, and he gave two of the rabbits to the dogs. They had grown plump through the efforts of Jessa and their own hunting abilities. Their silky coats gleamed in the afternoon sun as the lay around the garden. Several growled out into the woods, disturbed by the odd smells from the forest and perhaps memories of past encounters with such beasts.

Severus cast heavy wards and charms in order to keep the unwanted predators away. The dogs seemed to draw back from the perimeter of the magical barrier. The large white dog, Woof, nosed around the area and poked his nose through. He drew back and ran his paw over his nose and sneezed. He baked and bounced playfully. He drew back with his bottom in the air and his forepaws outstretched and then bounded at the barrier. He went through without a problem and shook his body as if ridding himself of excess water. He whined as he looked back at Severus. It was clear that it was an odd feeling, but the dogs would be able to pass back and forth, as they represented no threat to the family. He had a feeling that, while he had been able to cast intricate wards before this new era, his wards had never been this intricate before.

he dogs nosed around the remains of the two rabbits, munching bones and cleaning up the excess fluids. But when they were done, they followed Woof on a merry chase through the front yard and into the dense brush along the side of the house. It was quite likely that they would stay close, knowing the danger that was present. On some level, they seemed to realize the safety that the wards offered, and Severus was not surprised to find them back in the garden at dusk, nosing around the peas and laying near the bushy potato patch.

He had helped Jessa and while not as proficient at cooking, he was able to manage a thin but savory gravy. His rice was a little sticky and the vegetables were a little firmer than hers had been. He added flour to the gravy, which only made it a little lumpy and let the vegetables cook a little longer before fixing their plates and taking food into the bedroom. Hope and Fran were busy shredding an old shirt they had found and were making rag dolls out of the grayish fabric.

They thanked him, and without further comment, they eagerly tucked into the food he had brought them. He gently nudged Jessa awake, and she rose sleepily. Her cheeks were pink, but he suspected the heavy covers had more to do with that than the fever. Diagnostics showed that she was doing well, and though her leg was still swollen, she seemed to be well.

Jessa took a bite of the stew and chewed thoughtfully, "I think we need to take stock of the medicines that we pillaged from their cupboards." Her voice was tentative in the quiet of the room, and Severus cocked his head curiously. "Antibiotics," She said simply, "it might be a good idea." She pulled the blankets off of her leg and revealed the long scratch on her calf. It was red and swollen and seemed to be oozing a little bit of clear pus.

Severus nodded and went to the bathroom to get the whisky. He used a cloth to apply more of it to the wound. Jessa hissed in pain and hoped that it was helping to kill any bacteria that may have gotten into the scratch. Severus set down his bowl and left the room to rummage through the pill bottles they had taken. He had no idea what he was looking at, but he carried several that he thought might be promising into the bedroom. Jessa looked at them carefully. Several were mild pain relievers, but she identified two full bottles of antibiotics. She took two and hoped that they would ward off infection.

They finished dinner, and Severus took the dishes back to the kitchen and looked out into woods. He thought he saw shifting shadows, but he couldn't be certain. He took a moment to shore up the wards around the cottage and headed back to the bedroom with a book that he had found in the small library. It was a novel, but he didn't remember having read it before, The Once and Future King. He reclined on the bed near Jessa who turned toward him sleepily and slid her hand over his chest. He looked down at her small plump hand and smiled.

During the night, he heard a commotion; the dogs barked riotously. He looked into the darkness but saw nothing. He decided to shower quickly before returning to bed. As he slipped under the covers, Jessa stirred and opened her eyes. "Severus?" Her fearful eyes sought frantically in the darkness to make some meaning out of the shadows.

"I'm here; you're safe." He reassured her gently as he stretched out and turned toward her. He stretched out his arm and she drew close and lay her head against his shoulder. He pulled her to him gently and inhaled deeply of the fragrance of her hair. The smell of the floral soap was gone, replaced by the smell natural oils. It was pleasant and soothing, and he closed his eyes to the howling racket of the night sure that they would be safe. The sun rose, and they were still dozing. Jessa woke abruptly to the sound of Hope and Fran giggling in the bathroom. They had evidently decided to bathe, for she heard splashing and squealing in the other room. She leaned up on her elbow and looked to Severus, who cracked open an eye and looked at her accusingly as if she were the sole reason that the sun had risen and interrupted his sleep.

His large hand came up and slipped around her shoulder. He pulled her warm body next to him and rolled toward her so that his other hand could slip round her waist.

"It's too early," His muffled words were barely audible as they were halfway uttered into the pillow.

"Come on lazybones," Jessa giggled into his chest, "It's very nearly noon!" She teased.

"It is not." He said indignantly.

"It is so." She replied scathingly and reached around to pinch his bottom.

He grunted and pulled back to glare at her. Arching an imperious brow, he smirked, "Remember, you started it." His voice was deadly.

His deft fingers slipped down and gave her a swift, healthy goose on the bottom. Jessa yelped and rolled forward, launching herself on top of him. Severus gripped her tightly in his arms and let her momentum roll them. They ended up at the edge of the bed with him on top of her, her legs splayed and his hips nestled between hers. It was quite a nice place to be from his point of view.

However, they both heard giggling from the bathroom door. The girls had dressed, and stood with their hair and feet leaving drips and prints across the floor. They raced across the room and jumped on the bed gleefully. Hope's little fingers jabbed into Severus ribs unmercifully, tickling the tall man as he fought to untangle himself from the covers. Jessa joined in and wormed her own fingers under the covers to goose his side. He gave a loud guffaw as she continued her tormenting, and he reached down to goose the inside of her thigh. She closed her eyes, screamed and kicked. Hope fell back laughing as Severus kicked free of the covers and rolled unimpeded to the floor. His head thunked loudly and his legs splayed awkwardly along the side of the bed, one leg up and one leg down. Jessa peaked over, her head beside his knee, and looked down at him worriedly.

"Are you alright?" She asked with concern in her eyes.

"Better now," He grinned devilishly as his eyes feasted on her breasts, which hung over the side of the bed. Her dress had pulled down and the neckline was positively indecent. The lace of her bra failed to conceal the top half of her breasts, which were on display due to the receding neckline.

To make matters worse, Hope and Fran had begun bouncing on the bed, and an unbalanced Jessa had begun to slide forward. She waved her arms awkwardly and her mouth opened to emit a squeak. Her eyes grew large and Severus grinned extending his hands to catch her as she slid forward. He failed to stop her momentum until she had landed on top of him. This time the very breasts he had been appraising were granting him a much closer inspection. His prodigious nose was nestled between the two soft globes.

"Hmm," He hummed happily.

Jessa gasped at the feel of the vibrations against her breasts. She drew back, but only succeeded in pulling her dress more tautly across her breasts and revealing her now very erect nipples.

Were he a weaker man, he would have taken one into his mouth at that point, but he did not. However, to say he did not consider it would be a lie, a very big lie.

Jessa drew her legs off the bed and only ended up straddling him, which succeeded in further raising his own awareness.

"My dear," He hissed, "There are far more subtle ways of showing your interest." He teased.

"Severus!" She hissed.

Hope and Fran continued to jump on the bed pointing and laughing at Severus and Jessa. They were oblivious of the not-so-subtle tension rife in the room.

Jessa managed to stand awkwardly and helped Severus up as well. He ushered her to the bathroom and sat beside her on the edge of the tub. Gently, he lifted her leg to his lap and pushed back the hem of her dress, inspecting the wound carefully. While it was still swollen, it was far better than it had been the previous day. Jessa took more of the antibiotics and decided to take a quick shower. By the time she had entered the kitchen, Severus was cooking a large batch of oats. He had also picked a few of the remaining blueberries to sweeten it a little. Jessa had hoped to have pancakes, as they had found a great deal of flour stored in the larder of this little cottage. It would be nice to have bread again. The mood struck her and she began looking through their stores for the packs of yeast that she had found. The couple that had lived here had, thankfully, stockpiled for a coming apocalypse. They were very lucky to have found this place.

Severus had begun filling bowls, but before she ate her breakfast, Jessa drew some warm water and began to proof the yeast. She would need to get the oven a little warmer, but she could bake several loaves. Severus could preserve them indefinitely. She smiled as she joined them at the table. Severus pushed the bowl of berries to her, and she added a handful to the oats. The honey was also out on the table. They each enjoyed a cup of tea with their breakfast as well, a rare treat. She dearly wished that they could find a cow or a goat for milk, but as long as they were all healthy and well fed, that was what mattered most.


	9. Purgatorio Chapter 9

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by Warner Bros and JK Rowling. I make no money from this nor do I intend to

Making new friends and frienemies, a healthy dose of competition, and even a kiss. Please review even if you don't like it. Let me know what you don't like (or what you do) even a quick – "liked it" or "boring" is appreciated and it keeps me motivated. Thank you again to everyone has reviewed! I can't say again how much I appreciate the reviews! (Chapter Title – You've Got Another Thing Comin' – Judas Priest)

9 You've Got Another Thing Comin'

The day passed quickly. They warmed up the stew that Severus had made, and with a few simple ingredients, Jessa improved on his concoction. They had fresh bread and full bellies, and spent the day relaxing. Jessa had found a book on crocheting and knitting, and she had begun to teach herself how to knit. While reading his book, Severus monitored her clumsy efforts and smirked as she muttered vulgar words under her breath. Periodically she would pull out the needles and undo some of her work and start over. By the time she set aside her work for the evening, she had made quite a bit of progress and her work was growing more uniform.

They had showered, and Jessa had managed to bathe the girls with some help from Severus, as her leg was still troubling her.

Again, Severus had shoved a pillow between them to avoid inappropriate contact. A part of him was still agonizing over some ultimate rejection that waited in his future. He knew that once he had her, once he committed himself to her that would be it, and if he were to lose her, it would break him. Even now the thought of losing her to harm or another terrified him.

The night passed without incident, as far as Jessa was concerned; Severus, however, had awoken with a stiff problem that he took care of in the privacy of the loo. The day dawned and Jessa nagged Severus to load the cart again. She was ready to get moving. The swelling in her leg had gone down and the scratch was merely a red stripe on her leg. It had scabbed over, and through their efforts, it had not gotten infected. Severus had even found a salve to put on it to aid in the healing.

By noon, they had left the cottage behind them with no little sadness. They had also managed to snare six more rabbits, which Jessa had cleaned and stored in sterile plastic bags after Severus had preserved them. Jessa felt odd leaving the raw meat to sit, but Severus assured her that they would be fine.

During the journey, the girls busied themselves in the cart with crochet needles and some coarse yarn that Jessa had let them have. She had packed most of the soft, quality rolls away. She had even managed to pillage quite a bit of fabric that had been stored in a crafting cupboard along with plenty of needles and thread to make a multitude of items and repairs. She bemoaned the fact that the sewing machine was electric. Perhaps they would run upon an old antique store and find one driven by foot pedal? She didn't think to ask Severus if he could charm the electric machine until they had left it far behind them.

Jessa was busy knitting beside Severus. They sat close together, and he monitored the woods carefully both with his own eyes and with magic. The day wore on without excitement and the children were eventually lulled to sleep by the rising sun and the steady clop of the mules' heels. They stopped to let Dilly and Dally rest and to eat some of the leftovers they had packed. They were on their way again quickly. The afternoon passed similarly, and that night they found a small clearing, unhitched the mules, and they slept in the cart that night snugly.

The following day passed in the same manner, but the next day was not as uneventful. That afternoon they were traveling along and had decided to pull of into a quiet lane in order to rest Dilly and Dally. Severus had just cast a homenum revelio when they heard several clicks.

"Fuck," Severus hissed. The children were asleep, and he cast a notice me not on them as the three men stepped out of the bushes. They could see a clearing behind the men were quite a few horses were grazing. The camp held three more people that they could see. Severus halted their cart and held up his hands. Jessa sat wide eyed beside him.

A short stocky man stepped up and addressed them, "Just where do you think you're going?" He asked defensively.

"We'll just be on our way, that way." Severus said calmly pointing to the other direction.

"Now, Bert." Another man said and put his hand on the short man's stout shoulder. "There is no need to be so hostile."

The other two with Bert had lowered their rifles when they caught sight of Jessa. Bert looked from Severus to Jessa and slowly lowered the barrel of his gun, "I'm sorry, but we ran into some bad chaps a little ways back. We're all a little jumpy." He said and ran his hand over his graying head. His skin was reddened from sun exposure, and he looked weary. Severus surmised that he had the dubious pleasure of leading the group. They all looked relatively healthy, and from the smells coming from the camp, they were doing well with providing everyone with enough to eat.

Another man stepped forward, "I'm Ernie," the slender man said. "If you agree to be peaceful, then you are welcome here. We are traveling north for a ways." The gentleman said. He seemed a bit older than Bert, and the stocky man seemed content to let Ernie speak for them.

Severus nodded, "Of course, we were only looking for a quiet place to eat and let the mules rest for a bit."

"Well, you and your family are welcome." Ernie said and Burt nodded.

When they had settled, they were introduced to everyone. There was Bert and Ernie of course. The fellow with them was Fred, he was Ernie's partner. Douglas and Mae, and elderly couple, had a young daughter, Susan, who Hope and Fran took a liking to immediately. Lastly, there was Danielle, who would not stop staring at Severus. Jessa was sorry to notice that the pretty woman and Bert were not an item. She could tell that there was going to be trouble. The group invited them to share their meal, and Jessa gave them a couple of their rabbits in exchange. They were shocked to see that it was still well preserved, but no one remarked on the magic that had been expended to do this.

While Jessa was consumed with Danielle's eyes, Severus was obsessed with the direction of Bert's gaze. The stocky man seemed to hover about Jessa wherever she went. The group had as successful hunt, and they were busy processing the meat. They were not as skilled as Jessa at preservation, and she shared her own knowledge with them and taught those willing to learn how to process the hides as well. Severus stuck close to her and helped her with the demonstration. However, Douglas had asked Severus to show him some of the finer points of hide tanning, which drew him away from Jessa. Severus was a quick learner, and it had not taken him long to understand the methods and even perfect a few of her techniques.

Bert seemed to seize the moment and slid next to the plump, smiling woman. Severus bristled as she smiled at Bert in what he considered too friendly a manner. This was not lost on Bert, but he did not see a ring on her finger nor had Severus introduced her as his wife. As far as he was concerned, the pretty brunette was fair game.

Jessa was oblivious to Bert's flirting and assumed that he was merely being friendly. She was more concerned with the way that Danielle's hands were lingering over Severus' shoulder. She did not see him shrug off her touch.

By the time evening had come on, both Severus and Jessa were bundles of raw nerves.

"So, you seem to be enjoying yourself," He snipped.

"Me?" She said incredulously, "You're one to be talking." She hissed as they walked over to join the group for dinner.

They sat next to one another mutely, and everyone could see the tension that radiated from them. After dinner, Frank pulled out his guitar and Ernie kept a beat on a rudimentary drum. May and Douglas and the children enjoyed dancing. Bert offered his hand to Jessa, who looked to Severus. He kept his gaze straight ahead; his lips were drawn in a thin line of displeasure.

Jessa took Bert's hand, and he patiently showed her the steps to the country dance. It didn't take long, and Jessa was distracted by Danielle's figure as she took her own vacant seat beside Severus.

Jessa had danced with Douglas next and even Ernie took her for a turn. By the time the party had broken up, Jessa began looking around for Severus. He wasn't around the fire with the others nor was Danielle. Jessa had a sick feeling in her stomach as she rounded the girls up and ushered them back to the Cart. Hushed voices drifted to them from around the back end of the cart. She hushed the girls and made them stand beside the mules. By the time she had peaked around the back of the cart, she saw Severus and Danielle clearly in the glow emitted by the large central fire. Danielle's arms were slung around his neck, and his hands were on her shoulders. Danielle's lips were pressed to Severus cheek.

Jessa stepped forward, "If you could take that somewhere else, I would appreciate it. I need to put the girls to bed, Severus." She said with no little hurt in her voice.

Severus had been stunned by her arrival but pushed harder on Danielle's shoulders, "It's not what you think, Jessa." He protested.

"It's none of my business." She said not meeting his eyes. She blinked rapidly and cleared the tears from her eyes. She turned quickly and went to collect the girls.

Severus turned abruptly to Danielle and grabbed the woman roughly by the front of her dress, "I told you I'm not interested in what you have to offer." He said roughly. "If you continue to press me, you will regret it." His black eyes bored into her as he lifted her off the ground and pushed her from him.

Danielle landed with a thud that knocked the air out of her lungs. Jessa had come around the cart and couldn't fail to hear what he had said rather loudly to the woman. She glared at the thin woman before ushering the girls into the cart. She waited for Severus to join them, but she had fallen asleep by the time the man had gathered enough nerve to enter the cart.

Part of him had wanted to get back at Jessa, but he had no interest in Danielle or leading the woman on. He had turned down her offers in no uncertain terms. It hadn't taken him much longer to determine that there was something a little . . . different about Danielle when she had pressed her advantage and thrown herself at him. He sighed wishing they had just driven away from this camp.

The next morning they woke to the sounds of people stirring and quietly going about their morning routines. Jessa cooked a quick breakfast of oats, and Mae brought over extra corn muffins as thanks for Jessa and Severus' help in processing the meat and hides from the day before. The girls were happy to see Susan. The girls crawled in the cart together. When Jessa peaked in later, Fran was helping Susan and Hope crochet chains.

Severus went to help Douglas and the others package the dried meat. When he returned to the cart, he found Bert sitting near Jessa, who was busy stitching a jacket that had seen far better days.

Bert tipped his head to Severus as the tall man took a seat on the other side of Jessa. Though he and Jessa had not spoken, Severus hoped that his proximity sent a message to both her and Bert. The man's green eyes lit first on Jessa, who was intent on her current occupation, and then focused on Severus.

Severus narrowed his dark eyes at Bert who smirked and leaned into Jessa, "I really appreciate your help." He said kindly.

Jessa nodded mutely and focused on working the thick needle through the skins. Severus smiled slyly at Bert, who shifted uncomfortably. Jessa finished and tied a sturdy knot and handed the bulky coat back to Bert.

"Well, there you are," She said matter-of-factly. "Here," she handed him one of the many needles she had taken from the cottage. She had quite a few packs and could afford to let one go.

"This should help," She handed him a spool of the dark thread she had used. "This way you can do it the next time you find a tear." She smiled kindly. "As you can see, it's very simple to do, and you should be able to patch it should it rip again." She stood and went to check on the girls. Two pairs of very interested eyes followed the swish of her hips as she walked away.

"I suggest you leave Jessa alone." Severus said calmly.

Bert shrugged, "She doesn't seem to be complaining." The much shorter, muscular man replied.

Severus glared at Bert and drew his wand; he looked away from Bert, who eventually stood and walked away quietly.

Jessa, who had listened to the exchange, frowned worriedly, walked around the cart, and sat back down beside Severus. "I think they are going to leave tomorrow morning. Did you want to go with them?" She asked curiously.

Severus nodded, "I suppose for a while. It might be safer traveling in a larger group." He speculated.

Jessa nodded, "Ok, but I think you should be the one to tell Bert. He seems a little . . . " She didn't know how to finish the sentence.

"Alright," Severus agreed shortly.

Douglas came over a little later to invite them to go fishing with he and Mae at the lake. Jessa had never been fishing, but she was eager to learn. Severus pulled out a couple of the rods he had acquired along with several lures. After warding their cart, he, Jessa, and the girls followed the sedate couple down to the small lake. Severus helped Jessa to get the knack of casting. He stood behind her and let his hand rest gently over hers as he taught her to cast. Her head barely came to the top of his chest, and had a lovely view of her figure from above, and Jessa blushed as she looked up at him at one point, noticing the direction of his gaze. Mae grinned at Jessa when she caught her eye and winked, and Jessa smiled bashfully.

The afternoon seemed to pass unproductively until Jessa finally got a bite. She yelped and began reeling the line in. "Severus, Severus!" She squeaked as whatever was on the other end tugged strongly, and she teetered forward, off balance.

Severus stepped behind her, gripped the handle, and slid his arm around her waist. He helped her to reel in the large fish, and she grinned happily up at him. Severus managed to catch a fish no larger than his palm. The pale, dark haired man threw the little fish back in grumpily as Jessa began to yelp again. He smirked and set his own pole down so that he could help Jessa again. Finally, he gave up and waited for Jessa to catch another. She brought in three large fish when they decided to call it a night. Douglas and Mae had caught five together.

Neither Severus nor Jessa knew how to fillet a fish, so Douglas happily demonstrated the technique. It was a messy job, and neither enjoyed the task. Mae helped Jessa cook the fish, and the younger woman brought out some of the carrots they had harvested. They steamed the fresh vegetables along with a few herbs over the fire while the fish roasted slowly. Hope was a little skeptical about eating the fish, but everyone else seemed to enjoy the change in fare.

The evening passed more quietly. While Severus helped to clean up after dinner, Jessa went to check the snares that she had set earlier in the day and found them all full. She headed out into the forest and blew her whistle to call the dogs. She kept three of the rabbits and left the rest for the canines. Woof was happy to see her and left reluctantly with the pack.

As she made her way back she noticed that Danielle seemed to be waiting for her as she exited the woods. The thin woman looked at Jessa skeptically, "Good evening, Jessa." She said coolly.

Jessa walked past the woman without responding.

"Bitch," Danielle hissed.

Jessa ignored the woman and headed to the cart. She, Hope and Fran took Susan back to Mae. The older woman had seen the exchange between Danielle and Jessa and was more than a little worried. "Danielle can be a bit much." She warned.

Jessa nodded mutely and did not meet the older woman's kind eyes.

"You really shouldn't let her get to you, you know. There isn't a man in this camp who is interested in . . . what she has to offer." Mae said hesitantly, awkwardly.

Jessa looked at her, puzzled, but Mae said no more.

"She seems to be awfully interested in Severus," Jessa rebutted.

"And Bert seems to be awfully interested in you." Mae replied not unkindly.

Jessa looked at Mae with wide, disbelieving eyes, "Me? Not in that way." She said in denial.

Mae nodded, "You're a very pretty girl, Jessa." She held up her hand to stop Jessa from speaking as the girl shook her head in denial. "Yes, you are. There may have been few people to tell you before, but let me assure you that you are a very comely woman with no shortage of charms." The greying woman assured her. "It is also clear that you are hard working, kindhearted, and a good provider." She nodded. "You have many skills to offer a man such as Severus . . . or Bert, who has been asked to lead a group of people. He feels the pressure, and in you, he likely sees someone who would help him provide. Not to mention, he is lonely." She nodded thoughtfully as they watched the girls play tag while running around their tent.

Jessa mulled over this thoughtfully. "Well, nothing has been spoken between Severus and I." She confided, "But . . ."

Mae patted her knee companionably, "It is easy to see that the two of you are fond of one another. He cares for you deeply, and if I'm not mistaken, you also care for him." Her kind words seemed to settle Jessa's spirit. They sat quietly, enjoying the children as the frolicked.

Jessa returned to the cart with Hope and Fran, who were worn out from the day's activities. They all slept well that night, and the next morning they helped to clear the area and set off. Douglas and Mae had a small cart of their own, so they rode behind the other horses and Severus and Jessa headed up the rear of the party.

Once again, the day passed uneventfully. They did not stop but continued traveling throughout the day. Dilly and Dally held up well, and did not balk at this change in routine. The pace was moderate, and they had traveled a good ways by the time the day began to wane. Bert had traveled ahead and found a place for them to camp beside a river. It was well shaded with trees, but there were several areas where they could each set up their tents and tie off their respective animals.

The men went down to the river to bathe first, and Severus kept to himself behind an outcropping of rocks. He brought a change of clothes and a bar of soap he had taken from the cottage. The water was cold but refreshing.

Mae came with Susan to walk with Jessa down to the river. Danielle was suspiciously absent. The women took care of the girls first and then bathed quickly as they watched the girls play. Mae and Jessa helped to wash each other's hair, and each yelped as the cold water was poured over their heads. They dressed but allowed the young girls to play in the water until dusk settled upon them. Jessa headed back to the camp where Severus had stew cooking. They had quite a few rabbits put away by this point and decided to share their bounty with the rest of the camp. Jessa brought out half of one of the loaves of bread she had baked and everyone received a modest slice.

They all woke early the next morning, and Severus remarked upon the faint smell of smoke. "It must be a nearby city." He remarked, as he had seen the wildmen set fire to a small town down south many months ago.

That afternoon they came to a small farm, which seemed deserted. There were cows and chickens grazing in the large fenced in field. Several goats and sheep were lolling by a pond as well. There seemed to be no bull about, so Jessa and Mae went to check out the docile cows. Several of them were producing milk, and Mae suggested that they lead them to the barn and try to milk them. The venture wasn't very successful until Frank joined them and demonstrated the proper milking technique. He helped them pasteurize it, and when they were done, they milked the goat, and Fred taught them how to make goat cheese. The young girls enjoyed helping in the kitchen, and though it grew dim, they were able to light several oil lamps to provide light.

Severus had decided to inspect the farm house and discovered the bodies of the past owners in the bedroom. They had evidently died shortly after the outpouring of natural causes. There looked to be no foul play involved.

When Frank told them that the cows could be milked again that evening, Jessa gladly volunteered. She had spent several hours alone in the quiet barn when she suddenly felt hands on her shoulder. She jumped and startled the cow, but thankfully the milk was not knocked over. She picked up the pail and set it aside, but as she stood she was discomfited to find that it was Bert and not Severus behind her. Jessa went to step around him but he stepped with her.

"Why don't you let me help you with that?" He said playfully.

Jessa stepped back sloshing a little of the milk out. She looked down worriedly. "N-no, thank you, Bert."

"Jessa," He said and put his hand on her shoulder.

Jessa frowned at the stocky man, looking directly into his green eyes, "Listen, Bert, I'm with Severus." She said firmly, making a stand. "He's the one I'm traveling with, and he is part of our family."

"That's doesn't sound like much of a declaration of love to me." Bert squeezed her shoulder sharply and pressed forward causing her to step back against one of the wooden posts.

"What's between Severus and I is our business." She said defensively her fingers trembling with the weight of the bucket.

"Well, I don't think there's much between you, so that leaves a whole lotta space for someone to slip in." He said as he slid his hand around her neck.

"Let me go, Bert." Jessa's brows furrowed.

Bert pushed forward, mashing his lips against Jessa's jaw as the woman turned to avoid his advance. Bert ceased his advanced as he felt a firm point jab into his neck.

Severus slipped out of the shadows where he had hidden, watching Jessa closely. As Bert had pressed his advantage and Jessa had professed her own preference, he gained some sort of bearing. He had been foolish in not pressing her in not claiming her. He had indeed left room for someone to slip in. That didn't mean that he had to force himself on her, but he could have pursued her more intently and made his desires known. Instead of worrying what might happen, he could have worked towards building something with her. He had stepped swiftly from the shadows as his wand imbedded itself in Bert's neck.

""You heard the lady, Bert, please let her go." Severus hissed threateningly as he towered over the man.

Bert removed his hand from Jessa's neck, and she rubbed the reddened skin.

"Thank you, Severus." She said softly.

Severus never took his eyes off of Bert, who backed away slowly. "I suggest you divert your attentions elsewhere," The tall wizard ordered sternly.

Bert drew up his shoulders and flexed arms akimbo. He looked as if he was ready to begin screaming; his face was red and his eyes were narrowed threateningly. He breathed deeply and the moment passed, "Alright," he nodded and smiled, looking from Severus to Jessa thoughtfully before he turned and left.

"Make sure you're not alone again," Severus said sternly as he turned to her. He laid his hand gently on her neck and rubbed her reddened skin lightly. "Are you hurt?" He asked worriedly?

"No," She shook her head, "I'm fine," She smiled shyly up at him, set the pail down, and rose on her toes to kiss him on the cheek.

Severus gave her a small smile, which passed for a grin on his typically somber face, and drew her hand up to his, kissing it gently. He offered her his arm gallantly and reached down to retrieve the pail.

Mae and the girls were waiting for her at the kitchen door; the older woman grinned at Jessa who returned the gesture, and the girls giggled merrily and followed them through the kitchen. Hope seemed enamored with the idea of Severus kissing Jessa, and she wouldn't stop pestering him until he kissed her mother on the cheek.

Jessa's cheeks glowed a fetching pink, and she began busying herself in preparing the milk to make cheese. Frank teased her mercilessly as he showed both she and Mae the lengthy process. Jessa made notes while May and Frank joked at her expense. Severus sat in the far corner of the kitchen observing the bustling. He tried not to make much of her covert glances, but his dark, intense eyes lingered over Jessa as she blushed and grew flustered at their teasing.


	10. Purgatorio Chapter 10

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by Warner Bros and JK Rowling. I make no money from this nor do I intend to

This is a short one following the long chapter. Sorry it is short, but it felt like a good place to stop for now. Please review even if you don't like it. Let me know what you don't like (or what you do) even a quick – "liked it" or "boring" is appreciated and it keeps me motivated. Thank you again to everyone has reviewed! I can't say again how much I appreciate the reviews! (Chapter Title – Enter Sandman - Metallica)

10 Enter Sandman

Mae and Jessa were fascinated by the process, and they had several small molds to put away. Frank took one for himself as well. Jessa slipped the small wheel in her pocket and looked at Severus before leaving the room. The girls were still playing in the kitchen, and Mae looked to Severus, smiled, and nodded, "I will watch them." She whispered as she walked by him and patted his shoulder.

Severus rose swiftly and followed Jessa quietly. She made her way up two sets of stairs and into the attic where she rummaged through boxes and old furniture, kicking up dust and covering her dress in cobwebs.

Severus hung back and watched her nose around in the boxes before setting a few aside and gasping. She ran her hands over the old spinning wheel. There looked to be a crack in the main wheel, but she was obviously enthralled with the idea of learning how to use the object.

He moved forward carefully, disturbing the layer of dust that had resettled on the boxes in her path. Jessa turned, startled, when she heard Severus making his way into the room. She stood and brushed her gown off awkwardly. With a flick of his wand, he removed the dust from the area and sat down on one of the sturdy chests. Jessa fiddled with the wobbly wheel mutely, and Severus reached over and grabbed her hand gently.

"Do you think you can fix it?" She asked.

He looked at her steadily and smiled. "Of course," He cast a simple reparo.

Jessa grinned at him and squeezed his hand. "Thank you!" She exclaimed.

"You're welcome," His voice was soft and compelling.

Jessa pushed the hair back from her face as Severus pulled her hand toward him. She giggled as she lost her balance and Severus slipped his hand around her waist. He pulled her forward, and she landed awkwardly in his lap.

He chuckled; and she took a moment to enjoy his sedate laughter. She Sat up carefully, "I'm not too heavy am . . ."

Severus cut her off by placing his fingers over her mouth. Jessa's brown eyes looked up into his heatedly, and she did not miss the passionate gaze that lit on her. His hand tightened about her waist as he drew her forward. Jessa leaned in; her full breasts pressed against his chest. Slowly, her hand traveled up his arm to his shoulder where her fingers slid through his silky hair. Severus bent down and captured her lips roughly in a searing kiss. Jessa opened her mouth at his tongues insistence and felt his hand slide lower to grope the lush curve of her bottom. Jessa gasped and Severus groaned as he deepened the kiss. He nearly came undone as her fingers threaded through his hair, raking against his scalp.

Cold water couldn't have pulled them apart faster than the little giggle coming from around the door. Severus stood and grabbed Jessa as he unseated her, causing him to stumble forward and land on top of her straddling her waist most awkwardly. Hope peered around and this site only caused her to laugh harder.

They heard May run up the steps quickly. "Hope!" She chided. She peaked around the corner and her eyes grew round with shock.

"Severus," Jessa gasped, trying to breathe, "Could you help me up?

He drew back quickly and offered her his hand. They stood before Mae awkwardly and she smirked at the two knowingly with raised eyebrows.

"Well, dinner is ready if you're hungry." The older woman said.

Dinner passed quietly, and Severus and Jessa exchanged curious glances. Everyone seemed quite aware that the tension between the two had only grown. Bert seemed particularly troubled by this.

"I thought that we could all sleep in the house for the night. The beds will be a welcomed change." He said jovially, "I thought Jessa and the girls could take the front bedroom." He pointed to the room near the kitchen, and Douglas and Mae could take the one across from it. There is a large bedroom on the second floor if Frank and Ernie would like it, and there is a room with two small beds that Severus and I could share. Danielle , there is a day bed in one of the rooms off the hallway if you wouldn't mind sleeping there?" He offered.

He couldn't have been more obvious if he had tried, and Severus blatantly ignored him.

Jessa bridled at his seemingly dictatorial tone, "No, I don't think so Bert. Severus will be staying with us wherever we go." She said defiantly.

"Well, I just thought that you being an unmarried woman and a lady wouldn't want to sleep alone with a man. That sends the wrong message to your girls, doesn't it?" He asked tersely.

"And who are you to judge the sort of woman I am?" She hissed.

Bert narrowed his eyes and smirked.

Jessa rose abruptly and Severus stood beside her. They gathered the girls and returned to the cart without further remark. However, they had just settled down when Hope sat up abruptly.

"I forgot it!" She exclaimed.

"What, dear?" Jessa asked confused.

"My doll!" She said as if her mother should know.

Hope wrest herself free of the covers and went to climb out of the cart, and Jessa got up quickly and followed the little girl.

"Hope!" She hissed quietly as the girl ran back to the house.

The moon was full, and she watched Hope's curls bounce merrily as she ran ahead.

Jessa paused as she heard something, and she watched Hope pause ahead of her. She walked quickly to catch up to her daughter, who darted off.

"Hope!" She hissed and followed quickly.

Jessa heard someone saying her name, repeatedly. She had a terrible feeling in her stomach as she stepped around the corner to follow Hope.

What she saw startled her. She drew hope to her and covered her eyes. Bert, his pants down, had Danielle by the hips. Danielle was naked with her dress at her feet. The woman was moaning.

"What's he doing, Mommy?" Hope asked as she tried to pull Jessa's hand away.

"Don't look!" She hissed even as she fought to look away.

It all happened so quickly. Bert looked up and exclaimed, "Fuck!" and tried to pull his pants up quickly.

Danielle turned around and . . . Jessa was confused for a moment. She . . . she looked like a nubile nymph with small firm breasts and delicately formed areolas. Yet, her body was straight and lean. She had a little hair growing on her stomach and below . . . she was completely male. Regardless of their differences, Jessa was saddened and angered that Bert would use Danielle this way. It was obvious that Danielle wanted someone, the way her eyes had lingered after Severus and dwelled on Douglas and Mae as they interacted tenderly. The woman's need for some sort of tenderness had been obvious, but it was clear that Danielle would not get this from Bert.

She quickly ushered Hope away and back to the cart.

"But my doll!" The girl exclaimed.

"We'll get her in the morning." Jessa said abruptly.

Hope could read her mother well, and did not gainsay her. Rather, she tucked herself in the covers between Fran and Jessa and went to sleep.

Jessa took her shoes off and joined them, sliding in between Severus and Hope.

"What happened?" Severus asked curiously.

Jessa didn't know what to say. She sat up slowly and Severus sat up next to her.

"Is something wrong?" He asked in a low whisper; his lips were near her ear.

"Hope . . . We heard something, and Hope ran between the buildings and saw . . . " She paused awkwardly. "Bert was there with Danielle. They were . . . naked." She turned away. "I heard him call my name." Her voice was barely audible." She shivered and turned to Severus.

He pulled her to him and soothed her back as he spoke softly into her ear.

"I'm sorry you had to see that. You know that Danielle is . . . ?" He finished awkwardly.

"I-I saw." She nodded into his solid shoulder.

He leaned back slowly and she turned to him, quite disturbed by what she had seen. It was not that the two had been intimate that bothered her; it was more disturbing that Bert had pursued her and had clearly used Danielle. She wanted to punch him, in his slimy face. She gripped Severus' shirt roughly, and he slid his hand over hers and ran his finger over the back of her hand.

Jessa took a deep breath and tried to relax; it was well into the night before she was able to fall into a fitful sleep.

The next morning was awkward and tense. They ate breakfast hurriedly and quickly began to make their way north. The smell of smoke grew more pungent in the air with each passing minute. Severus examined his map and determined that they were close to a fairly large settlement. The smoke seemed to be coming from the east. Severus suggested that they veer west, but Bert was adamant that they continue into town to see what they could find.

"There is nothing there that we cannot live without." The dark wizard protested. "You are taking unnecessary risks." He countered. "And, it is more than likely that if you enter that area you will find more of the unstable there!" He shouted.

Bert stubbornly refused to listen, and Frank and Ernie agreed with Bert. They wanted to see if they could find any more ammunition.

Douglas and Mae did not want to risk traveling through the possibly dangerous area either. However, they all continued on for a few miles, when they came to a grouping of municipal buildings. As there were no working bathrooms, May took Susan, Hope and Fran to the bushes to relieve themselves. Jessa waited at the cart while Severus went with Frank to search for anything they could use.

Jessa waited impatiently, nervously and heard Hope screech. She stood worriedly, trying to identify the direction that Hope had gone. She climbed down from the cart, and ran through the close, packed buildings. The wind was knocked from her as a large pair of hands grabbed her. She was pushed up against cool metal and screamed as loud as she could and slammed her hand loudly on the building. She felt a burly arm slid around her face and a hairy forearm was shoved against her mouth.

Unable to scream, she began kicking, but the heavy body only leaned into her further. Her face looked out between the buildings. It was daylight. How could this be happening? She watched as Danielle walked by and looked at her curiously. She smirked at struggling woman and then at the man behind her . . . Burt, who had her pinned helplessly. She reached toward Danielle, but the woman ran away giggling. Had she misunderstood what was going on? Did she think that Jessa was eager to sample the charms that she had so recently enjoyed?

Jessa began to cry fruitlessly.

XxxxxXxxxxXxxxxXxxxx

Danielle ran tittering into the main building where she had recently seen Severus. He was alone in the room and searching through a cabinet of first aid supplies. She sauntered up to the man cattily and hissed, "Well, it looks like your little girlfriend has decided to give in to her desires. Are you ready to give in to yours?" She teased and ran her hand up Severus' chest.

Severus had heard her enter, had smelled her memorable fragrance. He turned quickly to the thin brunette and grabbed her hand, "Where is she?" He bellowed.

Danielle drew back at his harsh reply, "What do I care?" She pouted and pulled her wrist from his grip.

Severus grabbed her dress in an all too familiar move and Danielle gripped his hand and grimaced, "Stop, stop! Fine! She's just around the building to the left." She pointed behind her to the door she had entered.

Severus flew out of the building quickly and soon heard muffled voices and shuffling. Whipping around the corner like some violent storm, his dark brows were lowered and his steely eyes glinted as he caught sight of Bert, who was struggling to raise Jessa's gown. She had her eyes closed and she was fighting back with all of her might against the strong man.

Bert did not see him coming, but Severus flung out his hand and hit the man with a wandless stunner. Bert's body flew limply through the air and hit a nearby building with a harsh thud. Severus dashed forward and caught Jessa before her limp body fell to the ground.


	11. Purgatorio Chapter 11

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by Warner Bros and JK Rowling. I make no money from this nor do I intend to

The next chapter – in which we meet some new friends and resolve a few review even if you don't like it. Let me know what you don't like (or what you do) even a quick – "liked it" or "boring" is appreciated and it keeps me motivated. Thank you again to everyone has reviewed! I can't say again how much I appreciate the reviews! (Chapter Title – Hair of the Dog – AC/DC)

11. Hair of the Dog

May raced forward to help Jessa stand.

"Please take the girls to the cart." Severus looked at Mae sternly. Jessa stood shakily beside him as he drew his wand threateningly.

Danielle threw herself in front of Bert protectively, "Why are you hurting him?" She yelled viciously at Severus.

"Because he tried to rape Jessa, you strumpet!" He yelled back.

Danielle drew back as if struck. Her brown eyes were shocked and she looked to Jessa confuses, "Bert wouldn't have . . . I thought he was just . . ." She said hesitantly, clearly confused.

"Bert did!" Jessa yelled and roughly wiped the tears that began to trail down her reddened cheeks. "He most certainly did. He trapped me there," She gestured with her trembling finger to the wall, "He covered my mouth, and he wouldn't let me go. How could you fail to notice that I was struggling?" Jessa accused.

Danielle blinked and stepped back to look to Bert. "Did you really try to force her?" She asked softly, incredulously.

"Bert had righted himself by this point and put himself in order. "I didn't force her. She was willing enough until he showed up." He spat.

Severus pushed Danielle out of the way, and the woman went sprawling on the ground. He raced swiftly up to Bert and had him pinned off the ground to the sturdy metal building in seconds. "Really?" Severus hissed, looking the broad faced man in the eye.

"Yeah, really." He narrowed his eyes at the infuriated wizard. "She needs a real man to take care of her." He taunted. "You just don't have what it takes to satisfy a woman." He continued to needle the man.

Severus grabbed the man by the throat and released the spell. Bert's face grew red, and the rangy wizard's arm shook with rage. He gritted his teeth.

"NO!" Danielle screamed and grabbed on to Severus' arm. Frank and Ernie stood by mutely. Douglas helped Jessa to sit down on a near-by crate while the men argued.

"Please!" Danielle shouted as she tugged on Severus' arm. Bert's hands had started to claw at Severus iron grip, and his face had begun to turn a violent shade of red.

"He said we'd have a family!" Danielle shrieked. "He just wants a baby! That's all!" He tugged on Severus' arm and he relented and released Bert.

The solid man fell to the ground with a harsh thunk, and Danielle got on her knees beside him.

Bert drew back and punched Danielle soundly, sending her flying back beside Severus.

"Bert, how could you?" She shrieked. She drew her hand up to her delicate cheekbone, and it was clear that she would have a terrible bruise across her face.

"Fuck off!" Bert screamed. "As if I'd raise a child with you!" He yelled, clearly disgusted.

"But you said, if I could have a baby, if we . . . You said we could be a family; that if we could find a baby . . ." She sobbed.

Bert laughed crudely, "And what, I'd marry you, you freak?" He taunted.

Danielle's face crumpled with hurt and then fury as she shrieked and flew at Bert, flailing her arms and scratching his face.

Bert grabbed her and threw her roughly aside. Frank came forward and helped the battered woman rise. She was crying uncontrollably, and it was clear that she still wanted a piece of Bert.

Frank escorted away and helped her tend her wounds.

"Get up." Severus spat, kicking the man roughly in the leg.

Bert wiped the spit from his face as he stood and seemed to hunch over, lowering the center of his gravity. He lurched forward and Severus threw him against the building again with a flick of his wand. The tall wizard seemed almost bored by this animalistic display.

"You will never touch another unwilling woman again, nor will you ever harm another woman again. Do you understand me?" His voice was quiet and deadly as he glared at the man. Bert was grunting with pain. His body had born repeated blows, and his back was badly damaged from the rough treatment. He was caught off the ground and against the building again with no way to move. He felt his own magic, but unlike Severus, he had no innate knowledge of how to use it. Essentially, he was powerless against the other man's abilities, which had been greatly magnified by the outpouring at Stonehenge.

There were very few wizards who could have stood against the dark haired man, but Bert was certainly not one of them. Severus had grown stronger after meeting Jessa, both physically and magically. Good food and loving company had only helped him flourish and gain a better grasp on his own abilities.

Severus whipped his wand furiously, drawing lines of blood and ragged flesh. He ripped the man's clothing, and he did not stop until he seemed to be leaking blood.

"You'll kill him," Ernie remarked emotionlessly. "And then you'll be no better than the wildmen."

Severus turned to gaze at the older man's patient eyes.

His own steely gaze leveled on Bert, and he stretched out his left hand. With a simple gesture, Bert's wounds were gone. However, Severus drew close to the now grimacing Bert. He pressed against the man roughly, making sure his entire body was flush against him. His long fingered hand slid down to grip the brute's manhood roughly.

Bert grunted, "What are you some kind of fag?" He taunted.

Severus grinned evilly, "Bert, you've got nothing I'm interested in, and nothing anyone else will be interested in either."

It only took a moment for him to call on the magic, and Bert gasped.

Severus turned quickly and Bert fell to the ground once again and rose to his feet awkwardly.

Severus took Jessa's arm gently from Douglass, and they began walking away, but not before they heard Bert rise, unzip his pants, and begin to scream.

"What did you do to me? You make It bigger!" He yelled.

Severus heard the stout man's crunching footfalls as he ran toward them. Never looking back, the wizard gestured nonchalantly over his right shoulder, throwing Bert back to the ground and knocking him out.

Something had awakened in him, something deadly, something powerful, and something intrinsically Severus. He tilted his jaw sharply, cracking his neck as he shrugged his shoulder as if putting on a mantle. He felt as if he was still missing a great deal, but the new mantle settled over him, and he looked at the world with new eyes. It did not diminish what he felt for Jessa, but it lit a fire under him. He needed to move north, quickly, and he needed to make the best decisions available in order to make that happen.

XxxxxXxxxXxxxXxxxX

The smell of smoke had grown more pungent when they had all gathered near the horses, and Severus looked at the diverse group critically. "I'm heading north to a castle." He said matter-of-factly. "Whoever would like to come with me must abide by my rules, listen to my dictates. If you can't do that, then you are free to go your own way."

He looked at Frank and Ernie, "I know you want to find more ammunition, more guns. You believe they will keep you safe, but with what is coming, those guns will be useless. With a flick of my hand, I can turn them all into dust, sifting through your fingers.

Frank sighed, "Yeah, but it kills the wildmen." He rebutted.

"Then you are headed through town?" Severus questioned and Frank and Ernie nodded.

"And you?" Severus looked to Douglas and Mae, who had herded the children into the cart.

Douglas nodded, "If you'll have us." The older man held out his hand, and Severus shook it firmly.

They all looked to Danielle curiously. The bruise had begun to spread across her face, an awful reminder of the violence that Bert was capable of.

"Are you going to come with us?" Jessa asked in a strained voice. She knew that if they left the woman Bert might kill her, and if he didn't, she wasn't likely to make it through town safely with Frank and Ernie.

Danielle met Jessa's eyes guiltily and nodded.

Jessa's mouth was set in a thin line. She looked north thoughtfully and then looked directly at Danielle, "If you're coming with us, you had better learn to keep your hands to yourself." She said sharply as she folded her hands across her chest.

Severus put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently. "There will be no more misunderstandings." His deep voice rumbled. He looked from Jessa, who was still glaring at Danielle, to the thin woman, "No playing games. I want nothing to do with you, Danielle." Severus said with his voice devoid of emotion.

"Do you understand?" He hissed?

Danielle's eyes were trained on the ground, and she nodded mutely.

It was a sad parting, as they watched Frank and Ernie head north while they took a left at the next intersection, skirting town. The turn had taken them up a slow incline, and looking back, they could see that much of the town was on fire to the east.

"They are herding people." Severus remarked to Jessa. "I saw it further south. The wildmen were driving them with fire. There were others waiting to capture the people fleeing. In the pandemonium, children were being left and people were trampled." He said tenuously.

"What did they do with them?" Her voice shook knowingly.

"Some became slaves, I suppose, women and children probably. They fucked them, some they killed and discarded, others they . . . ate." He said hoarsely and clammed up as the memories overwhelmed him.

Jessa did not speak but sat quietly beside him and pulled out her knitting needles. The steady click of the needles and the clopping of the horses made her drowsy, and she started when Severus next spoke.

"Are you . . . are you alright?" He asked tentatively.

"I'm alright." She smiled over at him tremulously.

"Are you?" His dark eyes bore into hers, and he knew without pressing that she was far from well. Her eyes were strained, and her lips shook in an effort to hold the false smile. She was still running on anxiety, and eventually she would breakdown. He would be there for her; he promised himself. While he was on a mission, he had not lost sight of his need, his desire for Jessa. If anything, this new awareness had lit an even stronger fire under him to keep her safe, and to possess her. She was his.

They had not gone far when they heard shots being fired. The shots stopped abruptly, and they kept going, steadily forward.

They drove well into the night. Given their proximity to town, Severus did not want to stop, did not want to risk harm coming to Jessa, Hope, Fran or any of the others. Jessa had slumped against him, and he drew his arm around her and held her as she slept. The girls were cuddled together in their thick blankets in the cart.

It was well into the evening the following day when they finally stopped and let the animals rest. They had found a quiet clearing near a small stream. Dilly and Dally seemed very happy to be able to rest. Severus and Jessa rubbed them down well and gave them oats that they had taken from the farm.

That evening, Severus helped Jessa cook the last of the rabbits, and they set their snares further in the woods. Jessa caught sight of a deer further in the woods and looked at Severus excitedly. "My bow!" She whispered excitedly.

Severus looked at her puzzled. "Bow?"

"Yes, it's in my pack." She whispered disappointedly. They had been eating the jerky during the day, but it would be nice to eat something that wasn't so salty and to conserve their stores in case they traveled into an area where game was scarce.

"Maybe we can go hunting in the morning?" She asked him.

He mulled it over for a moment, "I think we should wait," He said thoughtfully. "If you hunt in the morning and kill a deer, we'll spend half of the day cleaning and processing it. We need to put as much distance as we can from the town." He looked at her apologetically when he saw the disappointment in her eyes.

He cupped her round face in his large hand and bent forward to kiss her gently. Jessa smiled at him but pulled away.

He followed her back to camp, wondering if she were truly that upset that she would not be able to hunt the next morning.

They ate dinner in relative silence and headed to bed. They were all quite tired from the recent turmoil and settled down quickly.

Jessa lay curled against Hope, but when Severus curled up behind her and slid his hand around her, she jumped uncomfortably. She lay still for a moment and shifted forward. Severus felt her shaking and sat up to look over her shoulder. He pushed the hair from her face gently and noticed that her eyes were squeezed shut tightly; the shiny tears trailing down her cheeks

"Jessa?" He asked softly.

She opened her eyes, sat up slowly, and turned to Severus, "I just can't get it out of my mind." She whispered.

Severus slid his arm around her and pulled her toward him. She leaned forward stiffly.

"You have nothing to fear from me, Jessa." He coaxed her tenderly.

Jessa relaxed against him slightly, "I know. I'm just a little jumpy," She said as she bit her bottom lip nervously.

"Come," He whispered in her ear.

Jessa's lashes fluttered as his warm breath ghosted over her ear. Severus pulled her gently down with him. Jessa turned to him, laying her hand tentatively on his chest. Severus rubbed her back gently, "How is that"? His voice was gentle as it teased her ears.

Jessa nodded and cuddled close, "Nice," she said sleepily, enjoying the smell of him. Her brain clearly registered that this was Severus, and she was safe with him. She drifted off to sleep listening to the sound of his steady, strong heartbeat.

XxxxxXxxxxXxxxxXxxxxX

"RUN! GET UP AND RUN!" A young female voice screamed. Severus and Jessa sat up abruptly. He laid his finger over her mouth and cast a silencing charm over the cart. "Hush. Don't speak. Stay here with the girls."

"DAMIT! I KNEW WE SHOULD NOT HAVE WAITED SO LONG!" The voice screamed.

"SHUT UP!" A young male voice answered.

Severus jumped out of the cart and saw Douglas. He waved the man back into his tent. Danielle had sense enough to stay put. Severus had cast very strong wards to protect them. There was no way that anyone could find them. How were these two so close?

He jogged forward and hid behind a stately pine tree.

"We can't stay here. I've got a bad feeling. My skin is on fire. I need to get away from this place!" The girl hissed.

"What do you mean? I feel the magic here, it's really strong, but it's very . . . familiar." The boy said.

"We shouldn't be here!" The girl whispered back. "Can't you feel it? My whole body is saying - get away from here." The girl replied quietly.

"Well, I think he's nearby. It has to be him." The boy said.

"You're mad. There is no HE, and we need to get the hell out of here!" The girl was quite adamant this time.

Severus peaked around the tree and saw the two clearly in the moonlight. The girl grabbed the boy and tried to pull him along, but he resisted.

"Look, we've been running all night. There is no way that those creatures are going to find us here. I'm telling you; it's like I can feel him." The boy replied gently and looked around curiously. He turned toward Severus.

The tall wizard was peering around the tree at the couple when the moonlight lit up the boys face; his glasses gleamed in the light of the moon. Severus knew that the boy's eyes were a vivid blue and his hair a perpetual mess.

"Harry Potter," He whispered. He didn't know how he knew this, but this was the boy he had saved. This boy meant something to him.

Severus rose unconsciously as if moved by some outside force and walked toward the boy slowly with his hands outstretched in a gesture of surrender.

The girl squeaked in fear, and the boy clamped his hand over her mouth. His eyes had registered the tall, dark haired man. As Severus stepped into the moonlight, his unmistakable face revealed, the boy grinned.

"Severus!" Harry exclaimed.

* * *

Note: Several readers have remarked about Harry's eyes. I'm sorry if it upset anyone, but I made Harry's eyes blue instead of Green. I just see him as Danielle Radcliffe. Sorry about the confusion. Thanks you for reading and reviewing!


	12. Purgatorio Chapter 12

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by Warner Bros and JK Rowling. I make no money from this nor do I intend to

I'm sorry it took a little longer to get this chapter up. It is longer, and I spent more time editing it because… it was needed. Frankly, the whole story needs to be edited. In my excitement to get it up … well. I'm sorry. Anyway, in this chapter all of the patient readers partake in some lemon tart. The lemon is coming soon; I promise. We have some action, a rescue, and we are told to get our asses in gear… NOW. What on earth could it be?

Please review even if you don't like it. Let me know what you don't like (or what you do) even a quick – "liked it" or "boring" is appreciated and it keeps me motivated. Thank you again to everyone has reviewed! I can't say again how much I appreciate the reviews! (Chapter Title – The Stroke – Billy Squire)

12. The Stroke

The night was still, and the faint smell of smoke filled their senses. Severus lowered his hands slowly and smiled. "Harry?" Severus cocked his head curiously.

Harry rushed forward and threw his arms around Severus.

The small clearing light up with a bright flash as the two collided. Severus' memory was filled with images of the final moments of the battle.

XxxxxXxxxxXxxxx

The snake man rose up threatening and seemed to channel the full force of the power of the stones. His robes fluttered in the torrent of wind that seemed to rise up out of the stillness. The scaly beast was filled with power, radiated it, and then something went awry with his spell. His narrow, red eyes grew wide as he lost control. Whatever force there was sentient and chose to see to its own agenda. The dark wizard's body arched and his mouth opened in a soundless scream.

"NOOOOO!" Severus yelled and dove, landing on top of the young boy protectively. The explosion was immense. Rubble and bodies flew through the air like weightless rags, and Severus remembered waking up alone amidst the screaming and confusion.

XxxxxXxxxxXxxxxXxxxx

They blinked rapidly in an effort to see in the darkness after the bright burst of light. Severus felt his skin crackle with energy where Harry still gripped him tightly. The boy let go gingerly and looked up at the tall man sheepishly.

"Sorry, but I've been looking for you since I woke up." He grinned at the older man openly. He shifted awkwardly running his hand through his mussed hair, "I was wondering if . . . if, maybe you were my father?" He asked curiously. "I can't remember." The young man shook his head, "I feel . . . something." He said as he reached forward to touch the other man's arm. The sympathetic magic seemed to swell between them like some grand crescendo

Severus shook his head, "I - I don't know Harry." He shrugged, "I can't remember." He paused, "But come, you're not safe here." He turned to head into the camp. "Bring your friend." he said over his shoulder.

Their steps seemed to echo through the darkness as leaves and twigs cracked and rustled with their passing.

Severus breached the wards and Harry after him, but his young friend was unable to follow. Severus lowered the wards, and the girl walked into the camp as the dark haired wizard erected the protective barrier around them. The magic rose around them with a soft "woosh." And Harry smirked as he reached out to glide his hand through the invisible impediment.

Severus looked at Harry expectantly as the others began to emerge. They gathered around the newcomers, and Harry smiled openly at them, his eyes lingering on Jessa when Severus drew his arm around the woman.

"This is Harry Potter," Severus introduced the boy.

"Hi," Harry smiled and shuffled under the uncomfortable weight of their stares.

"I'm Harry and this is Hermione," He said gesturing to the tall, sylph-like girl, who stood behind him with her hand on his shoulder. She looked at them suspiciously.

No one spoke, and a heavy silence seemed to settle over them.

"Do you need a tent?" Severus asked abruptly, thinking of the one he had stored in his own pack.

"No," Harry shook his head and patted the sack on his own back.

Severus nodded, "Are you hungry?"

"YES!" Harry's hand slipped to his thin middle, "Starved! We've been living on what we could find, which isn't much." He shrugged.

Hermione bit her lip anxiously and shifted behind him. It was clear that they had merely subsisted.

Jessa walked over to the fire and uncovered the pot she had buried beside it earlier. It held their leftovers. The bowls had been cleaned, and she filled a couple of bowls with the hot stew.

"Come," Severus gestured and walked stately towards the campsite. Harry's eyes seemed to linger on the man's clothes.

"Is something wrong?" Severus asked as he took a seat beside

Harry shook his head, as he took the bowl of stew that Jessa offered. He handed it to Hermione before accepting another and digging in.

The others gathered around as Jessa put more wood on the campfire.

"I'm going to check the snares," She said softly.

"Would you like some help?" Hermione asked setting her bowl down.

"No, dear, eat your stew." Jessa urged the young woman.

The two young people tucked into their food while the others waited for them to finish.

Jessa had come back with three rabbits, and using the firelight, she began skinning the hares. She used a heavy, wooden cutting board and scraped the innards into a bucket. Hermione watched the woman, fascinated. She finished her stew and went to sit beside the plump woman.

"Do you think you could show me how to do that?" She asked excitedly.

"Of course," Jessa smiled at her and pulled out the next rabbit handing it to the girl. Hermione took the large, limp animal in her hands and followed Jessa's directions carefully. She did not shy from the task or scrunch her nose at the unpleasantness. She was quick and efficient and a very fast learner.

Severus' eyes took in the girl curiously. He had a feeling that he should know her, but he couldn't access any memories in which she was featured. He shrugged and turned his attention to Harry, who was busy grinning at him.

Severus smirked, "Well, now that you've found me. We can head north." He stood and Harry stood with him.

The boy nodded eagerly. He seemed both relieved and excited that he had finally found Severus. It was as if he had found a missing part of himself.

They all helped the young couple to set up their tent, and Harry shuffled indecisively for a moment as Hermione held open the tent flap for him. He turned back to the tall wizard quickly and gave the man another hug, "I'm so glad I found you." His voice was muffled in the fabric of Severus' fatigues.

Severus stood awkwardly with his arms out for a moment and slowly drew his arms around the boy. His large hands gently patted Harry's back. It felt right. The magic felt right. Warmth filled him, something very paternal and protective.

"You're home now." He whispered in his silky, deep voice.

Harry's eyes glistened and he smiled tremulously, "Home," he nodded. Since the world had fallen apart, nothing had felt this right. He and Hermione were where they needed to be.

"Good night," The boy pulled away, grinned, and ducked inside of the tent with Hermione.

Severus smirked as he heard the two giggling and Hermione squeaked.

"Harry!" She whispered scandalized and playfully at once.

Jessa shook her head and took Severus' arm. They lay down, listening to the occasional gasp and breathless utterances of Hermione.

"You really need to teach him that silencing thing." Jessa hissed embarrassed.

Severus chuckled and turned to kiss her cheek and his lips trailed down softly to linger on her neck.

"Severus," Jessa warned, "the girls." She chided in a whisper.

"Are asleep." He countered and pulled her closer, running his hand down her side. He lifted his hand and pinned one of the blankets up magically to provide them with some privacy.

"Severus . . . not here. Not like this." She said nervously.

He rolled toward her and kissed her gently. His tongue teased her lips. Jessa responded to his inquest and opened to him. She moaned lightly as his tongue slid into her mouth sinuously. Jessa sighed.

Severus pulled back, "Alright, not here, but let me kiss you?" He said coaxingly.

Jessa nodded her dark eyes wide and filled with nervous excitement.

Severus' body was flush against hers; he cast a silencing charm so that the children would not be disturbed. The two girls were cuddled together on the far side of the cart and would be oblivious. However, he used a simple charm that would keep them asleep for a while. It could be lifted easily and would wear off before morning.

His lips returned to Jessa's voraciously, and his hands wandered down her hip and caressed her thigh before slipping around to her plump bottom and kneading lightly.

"Are you ok?" He gasped against her lips, "I'm not pushing too far?"

"No," Jessa shook her head and ran her hand up his shoulder to the back of his head. She urged him back down, and they kissed heatedly. Severus' hand slipped back up her hip to her rib cage and hovered under her full breast.

"Jessa?" He half groaned, half asked.

"Yes," She nearly pleaded as she reinitiated the kiss.

Severus growled as his hips pressed forward and his thumb slipped over her breast. The pad of the lengthy digit found her erect nipple and rubbed round the little nub.

"Jessa," He hissed as he broke the kiss and trailed his lips down her neck. His tongue teased the cleavage that peaked from her gown, and his hand began to pull at the loose neckline. It slipped off of her shoulder as he slowly bared her breast. His eyes were intent on hers in the dark of the cart.

She breathed rapidly as the fabric slowly slid over her sensitive flesh. The lovely, round globe fairly glowed in the faint moonlight, which shone through the membranous roof. Severus bent his head reverently and took the furled flesh in his warm mouth.

Jessa gasped, "Severus," and his hand made its way down her thigh again, creeping lower as he began to bunch up the bottom of her dress slowly.

"Severus?" She moaned.

"Do you want me to stop?" He asked her.

"Oh," She moaned as his tongue flicked her nipple, "Don't stop," She begged, pressing her breast into his mouth.

For Severus, this was all about her pleasure. He didn't want her to fear him; he didn't want her to associate what they did with what Bert had tried to do. Like him, she likely had no memories of past intimacy. He had vague flashes about pleasuring women, but they were all faceless, emotionless associations. He was also ready to move forward, build something with Jessa. He wanted to love her, physically. He wanted to claim her as his own.

His hand drifted up her bare leg slowly, tentatively. His mouth moved to her other breast as he pulled her gown lower with his other hand. Jessa arched into him as his mouth sucked at her nipple and laved the sensitive flesh of her breast. Her hand wove through his hair, urging him on.

He felt the heat pouring off of her body as his hand drew closer to the juncture between her thighs. His hand shook slightly as his fingers came into contact with her damp, cotton panties. He felt her hips rock, seeking some sort of friction.

"Oh, Severus," Her voice shook with pleasure and wanting.

He pulled back from her breast with a pop, "Yes, Jessa," His deep voice teased.

"Oh, God," She moaned.

Severus watched her pale face as his finger slid inside of her panties. Her legs spread to allow him further access. He pushed the thin scrap of fabric aside and his finger slid across her slick lips and teased her little nub.

Jessa's hands gripped Severus tightly and she moaned and rocked against his hand as he pleasured her. His mouth returned to her breast.

"Severus, please." She begged.

The normally reserved man cooed, Yess, Jessa, tell me what you want, love."

"I . . . I don't know," She nearly whined.

His finger teased the hard bundle of nerves more quickly as Jessa sought her pleasure. Her nipples tightened into hard points of desire, she arched forward, pushing her breasts forward and he took a nipple in his mouth as she came undone.

"Severussss," She moaned.

Severus stroked and plucked then removed his finger from her sensitive nub and teased her lips and hovered at her opening. Jessa trembled against him. "Yes," She begged.

He slid his long finger inside of her slick, wet warmth and groaned, "Jessa,"

His finger slipped in and out of her slowly and she ground her hips. He drew another finger inside of her tight sheath and she gasped and panted.

"More," She demanded in an almost petulant voice.

Severus thrust his fingers more urgently and moved forward to capture her lips. Jessa's hands wandered over his body, pulling at his clothes.

"Patience," He hissed and captured her lips.

"Unhhhh," she moaned as his fingers curled to rub the spongy flesh inside of her. "Severus!"

His fingers thrust inside of her rigidly, pushing against her pleasure spot. His fingers dove in and out of her heat. He urged her on and teased her nipples, sucking with his mouth and tracing patterns with his amorous tongue. His fingers curled and thrust, causing her to buck wildly. She moaned his name punctuated with a litany of little "Oh's," as she came on his fingers.

Her hips rocked urgently and he grunted as her inner muscles clamped down on his fingers. He wanted very much to be inside of her, spilling into her as she moaned his name.

He kissed her roughly as she came down from the glorious high. Her muscles still trembled around his fingers as he trust them more slowly but still forcefully inside of her. He loved the little wanton sounds she made, the way she moved her body. He also couldn't wait to taste her.

"Did you enjoy that?" He asked as he slid his fingers from her wet sheath.

Jessa groaned at the loss of the pleasure, the fullness that his fingers had provided. She watched him avidly as he brought his hand to his mouth and licked off her essence.

"Mmm," His delicious voice teased her already aroused senses. "You taste so good, Jessa." He looked at her with heavy lidded eyes. Her hands slid down his chest coming to rest on the button that kept his trousers closed. She worried the small piece of plastic until it begrudgingly pulled through the fabric. Her small hand slipped down, and Severus groaned as her little hot,hand clasped round him.

Jessa's eyes grew large as she slid her hand down his . . . long shaft. He was thick and large in her hand. She moved her hand down gently and cupped him. His silken shaft slid up her arm as her hand wandered down.

Severus, unable to maintain his composure, surged against her. Jessa smile sultrily, leaned forward and kissed Severus. Her pink tongue flicked lightly at his lips, tasting her own essence, as her hand began to stroke him. Severus gasped at the contact. It had been a very long time for him; he wasn't sure just how long, but he was astute enough to realize that he was not the sort of man that found himself on the receiving end of such contact, particularly by such a lovely, willing woman.

Jessa was everything he desired, beautiful, loving, strong, and tender. Not to mention, she set his blood on fire. "Jessa" he huffed in his deep, sensuous voice.

"Yes?" Her wanton voice delighted his ears as her fingers pleasured him.

"You didn't have to . . . uhnnnnn…" He groaned as she tightened her grip a little and stroked.

"I know." She whispered.

Severus reached down and unbuttoned the rest of the buttons on his fly and gasped as her hand moved more freely over him. He reached up and grabbed one of her full breasts and squeezed lightly, running his thumb over her nipple.

"Let me touch you again?" He asked.

Jessa reached down and pulled her gown up her hip. His nimble hand reached over and his calloused fingers teased her warm, satiny skin. He loved the feel of her round hips and thick thighs as he slipped his hand between her legs. Leaning forward, he kissed her gently as his had ran over wet knickers. He slipped his fingers under the sodden fabric and teased her again.

Jessa whimpered against his lips as his fingers slid back inside of her tight entrance, and Severus chuffed as her hand tightened and twisted a little, providing an exquisite friction on his engorged shaft. Her hand worked back and forth and he began moving his fingers inside of her. He picked up the pace as she began shifting her hips and he rocked against her hands.

It didn't take Jessa long to come undone again. She moaned into his mouth as he thrust his fingers inside of her. Her muscles tightened down on his fingers and she tensed with pleasure and broke the kiss. Her pleasure was exquisite and as she fell apart, her hand continued to bring him to his own completion. He uttered her name harshly and grunted as he came. It was hot and sticky and a little musky.

Jessa looked at him with sleepy eyes and smiles. Her ripe lips beckoned him, and he was helpless to resist kissing her. His fingers slipped gently from her and he lazily stroked her swollen lips and hard little nub.

"Severus," She chided as he teased her overly sensitive flesh.

He smirked and pulled away. "Thank you." He kissed her.

"Thank you," her quiet voice whispered in his ear as her tongue teased his lobe.

"Woman, you had better stop that unless you want me to take you right now." He warned.

Jessa kissed his cheek chastely and put her gown back in place.

They cleaned up and cuddled close. Severus didn't remember ever sleeping so soundly. He woke in the morning to Jessa's sleepy eyed gaze. She smiled and stretched, her body pressed against him. He was more than interested, but the girls were stirring. He also wanted the first time he slept with her to be more than a romp in the back of the cart. He smiled as she leaned over and kissed him soundly. She giggled and jumped up quickly before he could initiate anything. The rangy wizard stretched and let his eyes linger over Jessa, admiring the swish of her bottom as she bent over and dug in her pack.

The sounds of the camp filtered in slowly. It was early, and Mae was the only one stirring. Jessa began cooking the oats and noticed that the smell of smoke had grown even stronger.

She woke the girls while Mae coaxed Harry, Hermione and Danielle awake. Douglas came out with Susan shortly, and they had all eaten breakfast by the time the sun had risen.

"We need to get going, quickly." Severus spoke quietly, "We won't be stopping until evening. So, give the animals extra food. We'll water them in the afternoon, but we need to keep moving and keep moving west. The wildmen are likely in the woods now searching for stragglers. I'll be checking with magic periodically, but I want anyone who sees anything," He stressed, "to alert us. Whistle, clap, or wave your hands, whatever you have to do, do it." He stressed earnestly.

They packed up quickly. Harry and Hermione rode in the back of the cart with Fran and Hope. Fran set about teaching Hermione to crochet, and Harry pulled out his checker board and taught Hope to play. She was a quick learner, but she kept trying to take extra turns. Harry laughed at the little girls antics.

The morning passed quickly, and by the afternoon, the thunder was rumbling threateningly. The rain began after they had watered the animals and set on their way. Severus listened to the tap of the rain on the roof of the wagon. He and Jessa huddled together underneath an oiled skin she had pulled out. The roof of the wagon covered them a little, but the rain seemed to blow sideways into them. Jessa's cold hand snuck beneath his arm as she leaned in close to him.

They hadn't gone far when Douglas stood and waved frantically. Severus looked around and gestured to the left. They led the horses in the woods and found a small clearing. Severus erected wards and silencing charms. Harry disillusioned himself and snuck out to the road. He peered out behind the brush.

The young man watched several hulking figures race down the road in the direction that they had just come. The two men stopped nearby.

"Nothin'," One of the hulking brutes grunted and the other nodded in agreement.

"Well, we've got the trap set and someone'll hear it. Merk is watching. Let's go back." He pointed east. "Merk will call if he spots 'em." The other nodded again and the set off back down the road.

"Charming," Severus muttered behind Harry's shoulder.

The boy jumped at the sound of the older man's voice. "Yeah," He muttered, "but what do we do now?"

"We" He punctuated, "don't do anything." Severus replied. "I'm going to scout ahead." Severus turned and Harry grabbed the tall man's arm. His narrow fingers bit into the larger man's thick bicep.

The long haired wizard looked into Harry's determined eyes.

"I'm going with you." Harry said.

Severus opened his mouth to reply and Harry huffed, "Look, you're not gonna keep me here. If you try to go without me, I'll just follow you anyway." Harry narrowed his eyes and let go.

Severus smirked, "Come on then," He sighed.

Hermione was more than a little perturbed at being left behind. Jessa stood by Severus, who shifted impatiently. Harry and Hermione were not very far from the group, but Harry had cast a silencing charm. Jessa could hear nothing, but she watched the girl gesture emphatically.

Harry reached over and pulled Hermione's wand out of her pocket, opened her hand and placed the long piece of wood in her grasp. Hermione frowned and looked down at it. Harry's arms reached out imploringly, and he waited. Hermione's shoulders drooped dejectedly. Harry put his hand on her shoulder and then pulled her to him tenderly. The girl's arms slipped around him and she turned to kiss him passionate. The others turned away to give them some privacy.

The two walked over bashfully, their hands entwined. They broke apart reluctantly.

"Be careful," Hermione whispered to Harry. The boy nodded and smiled tenderly.

As the men left, Hermione walked up to Jessa and looked the plump woman in the eye, "Are you a witch?" The young woman asked.

Jessa shook her head, "No, I wasn't . . . before all of this, but I've worked some magic since. It was all born out of need though."

Hermione nodded, "I can feel my magic, and every now and then, I can cast. But, for the most part my wand is useless." The girl shook her head clearly disappointed.

"You know. Severus rarely uses his wand. Maybe you need to start practicing without it?" Jessa met Hermione's eyes curiously..

She left the young woman to mull it over as evening descended.

XxxxXxxxXxxxXxxxX

Harry and Severus disillusioned themselves and moved quickly through the woods. It seemed far too quiet. The birds were roosting in the trees and the crickets even seemed hesitant to chirrup. Severus wasn't use to traveling on foot, but Harry clearly was. The fleet footed boy dashed quietly ahead of him Severus' long legs helped him keep up as they jogged through the tree line.

"Wait," Severus hissed.

Harry paused, trying to catch his breath and looked to Severus speculatively. His chest rose and fell hurriedly as he breathed through his nose in an attempt to regain his wind.

Severus put his finger over his mouth and gestured ahead of them. He cast homenum revelio and they immediately knew that two men were nearby.

"It's got to be the trap." Harry hissed.

Severus nodded and pointed into the air and to their left. His sharp eyes had seen the shadow, which had ducked when the spell was cast. Severus smirked as the bulky man fought to remain in the tree. The limb cracked and the oaf fell to the ground with a loud grunt. The leaves rustled loudly as he struggled to untangle himself from the branch.

The tall wizard hit him with a powerful stunner knocking the wildman unconscious. They raced past the limp figure deftly and, thanks to magic, silently. Severus grabbed Harry again and pointed into a nearby tree.

A figure was strung up upside down by its ankles. Severus could detect no other presence about, and they approached, cut the body down, and lowered it gently to the ground. The boy was a little worse for wear. His face was badly bruised, but the diagnostic spell revealed that little else was wrong with him. Severus picked up the stout young man and hoisted him over his shoulder.

"Come on," Harry urged, grabbed Severus' arm, and raced forward.

Severus grunted and adjusted his burden before setting off behind Harry. The messy haired boy paused ahead and held out his hand. Several more of the wild men had come and were crowded around the downed man ahead of them. There had likely been signals and checkpoints; when this Merk failed to respond, it had likely alerted the others. The men seemed far more organized than Severus had suspected.

The two wizards ducked behind a nearby tree. Severus sat down his burden with a grunt.

"There are five of them," Harry whispered.

Severus nodded thoughtfully, "Stay here," He ordered as he pushed the boy against the tree and dashed forward. Harry felt the rough bark press into his back and heard a noise off to their left as Severus revealed himself.

With a gesture of his hand, the powerful wizard cut two of the men down. His hair flew wildly as he raced forward. The other wildmen looked around startled before they caught sight of Severus racing towards them like some infuriated wraith.

Harry stepped out as a sixth figure ran through the darkness at Severus. The young man thrust out his hands, and the hulking figure flew back, slamming against a nearby tree.

Severus petrified the remaining three and turned to Harry with wild eyes. "Come!" He ordered as he raced back to the tree and levitated the unconscious young man weightlessly onto his shoulders.

"You can't just leave them there alive!" Harry hissed loudly.

"Then kill them," Severus glared at the boy before turning and rushing off.

Harry hesitated before gritting his teeth and grunting exasperatedly. He followed Severus quickly, leaving the men to some other fate.

They traveled quickly through the woods, using magic to disturb their trail. The campfire was burning brightly, and Jessa was doling out the stew when they entered the wards. Severus lowered the boy to the ground gently.

Jessa started, dropping her bowl as Severus and Harry bound through the wards. The forest seemed eerily quiet as the two heaving men lowered a limp body to the ground. Jessa could see the raw wounds around the boys fair skinned ankles. He was large, but it was clear that he was still quite young. His skin and hair glowed in the dark firelight, which cast everything in a strange light.

Severus ushered Harry over to the fire, and the boy took deep breaths, trying to calm his breathing down. Severus stood with his hands on his hips. He ran his hand through his dark hair and looked at Jessa worriedly.

"What is it?" She walked up to him intently.

His own hands reached out and grabbed her shoulders. The intense man looked thoughtfully at Hope and Fran, who were huddled around Hermione eating their stew and staring into the golden firelight as the flickering flames danced merrily.

Jessa shivered and rubbed her arms as goose bumps rose up on her skin. "It feels like it has dropped ten degrees." She murmured.

Severus wiped the sweat from his brow as he too felt the drop in temperature. They needed to get the girls covered up in the cart.

"I'm not sure as to what we should do," He said thoughtfully to Jessa. If we stay here, we could end up trapped, but if we travel right now, we are likely to get caught." He said calmly.

Harry lifted his head, "No, we need to stay put. Hermione and I had to lay low for a while." He looked to the young woman sheepishly.

"You mean you refused to leave." She said huffily.

"Hermione, we've been over this. I needed to wait for Severus, and look, it was the right thing to do." He reasoned.

"And it almost got us killed, Harry." She shook her head and refused to speak again.

Harry sighed exasperated.

"We should stay here. The wildmen don't stay in one area for very long." Harry reasoned. "If we start traveling, especially at night, they'll sniff us out in no time." The young man argued.

Severus nodded thoughtfully.

"God, it's getting cold!" Jessa exclaimed, "It hasn't been this frigid in months." She bemoaned as she drew out her hand and huffed into the air. A puff of vapour issued from her mouth.

They heard rustling near them as the young man regained consciousness. He sat up and rubbed his head gingerly. They watched as he looked out into the darkness and let out a string of explicatives.

He looked at everyone in the camp with wild eyes, "We need to get the fuck out of here now!" He stood shakily and began to run. He paused momentarily on the other side of the fire. "NOW!"


	13. Purgatorio Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by Warner Bros and JK Rowling. I make no money from this nor do I intend to

Again, I'm sorry it took a little longer to get this chapter up. It is longer as well. In this chapter we have some action, a rescue and … finally the lemon I promised. I do hope you enjoy!

Please review even if you don't like it. Let me know what you don't like (or what you do) even a quick – "liked it" or "boring" is appreciated and it keeps me motivated. Thank you again to everyone has reviewed! I can't say again how much I appreciate the reviews! (Chapter Title – No One Like You - Scorpion)

13. No One Like You

The newcomer pointed to the other side of the clearing. "That's not gonna hold them back. I'm outta here, and if I were you, I'd get moving!" He turned and ran into the darkness.

Severus and Harry looked into the shadows and saw strange black figures begin to emerge from the woods. The cold grew as did the feeling of sadness, as if they would never be happy again.

Severus raced to the cart and grabbed his and Jessa's pack. Jessa had the girls and was running. The camp was in an uproar, and soon they were all following the broad shouldered young man into the darkness.

"This way!" He yelled over his shoulder.

Severus caught Fran in his arms, cast a weightless charm on her, and told her to hold on to him. Jessa pulled Hope ino her arms; he cast a weightless charm on her as well. Jessa was able to run more quickly,and used her hands to cradle the little girl's mop of curls in her hands.

"Hold on tight," She whispered to her child.

The coldness followed them as they dodged trees and bushes.

The fellow leading them yelped, and they heard splashing as he waded through a river.

"It's a trap!" He yelled, but it was too late.

They all flooded out of the woods and onto the bank. The opposite shore was lined with wildmen, grinning, bloody savages.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" A massive man stepped forward. He wiped his bloody face and glared at them.

It was Merk. Severus recognized the man's long hair, which was caught on top of his head in a ponytail.

He pulled a massive sword from his back flexed his bulging neck muscles as he grimaced at the party.

The large young man they had rescued shuffled back as the dark, robed figures drew closer. Mae screamed, and Severus turned and threw out his hands. A glowing shield cast out from his hands. The creatures hissed and drew back from them, but they did not flee.

Severus tried to hold them off, but they began to flank them. Jessa and hope were behind him, and he heard Harry exclaim.

"Fuck! We're trapped.

"Dementors!" Harry shouted. "They're Dementors!"

Hermione screamed as one of the hissing figures drew near her. She threw up her hands as if to ward the creature off.

"Expecto Patronum!" Harry yelled, and a large buck sprung from his wand and drew up on its hind legs, kicking at the wretched creatures.

Severus was having trouble maintaining his own shield. He dropped it and drew his wand for focus.

"Expecto Patronum!" He yelled, and a large, sleek panther leapt forth. The fierce cat roared and swiped a large paw at the deadly creatures. They drew back, and the battle cat leapt forward aggressively, causing the creatures to retreat a little.

The Patronuses were holding the Dementors back, but there seemed little hope of escape.

Severus turned to see Merk leading the charge across the river. "RUN!" He yelled and pushed Harry. "RUN!" He yelled to Jessa and pointed to Harry, hoping she would follow the boy.

Jessa stumbled and ran after Harry. However, Merk had watched the interaction. He glared at Severus, ducked the slicing hex the man threw and began running at a diagonal. The rest of the horde continued forward. They carried a variety of crude weapons. Severus let out a guttural scream and drew his fist back and threw his arm forward in a swift punch. He opened his hand wide as he finished the motion, and a large flame dragon sprang up slythering on the rocky bank. The beast seemed to inhale and bellow out a gust of flame, covering most of the wildmen in flames. They dashed away and dove in the river. Severus directed the beast and unleashed an inferno on the now fleeing hord.

By the time he recalled the raging flame, he was exhausted. He took off after the group, tracking Jessa's steps. What he found disturbed him greatly.

She had followed Harry until the trees had grown thicker. Another set of large foot prints had come from behind one of the large bushes and collided with hers. It was clear that there had been a struggle, and Jessa's struggling, halting steps had been pulled off in another direction.

"Fuck, Fuck," Severus yelled only now becoming aware that he held a shivering Fran to his chest. The girl whimpered.

"Shhh, It's alright. We're going to find Jessa and Hope." He whispered. The girl nodded as he took off running, following Jessa's new trail.

XxxxXxxxXxxxXxxxX

Jessa held on to Hope tightly as she followed Harry. She kept her eyes trained on the boy as they wove through the woods quickly. The Dementors had not pursued them. However, she heard the yells of the wildmen in her ears, and she did not slow her steps. Hope was suspiciously quiet, and Jessa subconsciously patted the little girl's soft hair. Her breath was growing ragged, but she was fueled by adrenaline. She wanted to return for Severus, but she knew that she would only be a burden. Tears began to stream from her eyes as she thought about what might be happening to the brave man. "Oh dear god protect him." She whispered to any deity that might be listening.

Harry paused and she watched the back of him slip through several trees that were tightly packed. She turned to the side and felt something slam into her as she attempted to follow the young man. She groaned and gripped Hope tightly.

"Gotcha," A deep, gravelly voice hissed in her ear.

"Let Me Go!" She yelled and tried to pull away, but the man's grip was like a vice. She could feel his fingers digging into her soft flesh.

"I can see why he chose you," The eerie voice slithered as his face nuzzled intimately in her hair.

Jessa pulled away as the man drug her behind him. He pulled her close as he hunched down, "If you don't cooperate, I'll kill her." He nodded to Hope, who stayed completely still. Her arms tightened about her mother's neck.

Her nostrils flared; she could smell the stench rolling off of him. He smelled of death and rot. It was disgusting, and she fought the urge to vomit.

The big man grinned as her eyes grew large and she stopped pulling away.

"If you're worth my time," He said huskily, "I might just let you live." He licked his lips and grinned evilly.

Jessa bit her lip so that she would not scream. Her breath hitched and she allowed the man to pull her along at an even clip. They covered a great deal of ground before the man veered east. It was morning when he pulled her behind a tree and scanned the area and then drug her into a rough structure that was once an old hunting lodge. There was only one room. The corner was piled with old blankets. There was an old wash basin covered with dust, a table and two rickety chairs. The old fireplace was unused as well. Jessa huddled in a corner with Hope snuggled close while the man peered out of the window anxiously.

"Your man is going to regret crossing my path," He smiled at her insincerely. His eyes were wild as they took her in.

"Put her down." He ordered.

Jessa petted Hope and coaxed her arms free. The little girl looked up at her mother, her lip trembled. "It's alright sweet heart. Just sit here and cover your ears, ok?" She cajoled her tenderly.

"How sweet," The large man hunkered down near them and Hope turned away. "Poppett, you should let your mommy go for now." His low voice bore the sting of threat. Hope let her mother go with a muffled mewl and huddled in the corner with her hands shoved tightly over her ears.

"Merk," The big man grunted.

"What?" Jessa looked at him puzzled as he drew her to her feet roughly.

He pulled her flush against him, "Merk," He grinned, "It's my name," He said almost gently, "I just wanted you to know so you knew what to scream later." He nodded his head to the side towards the blankets.

"Listen, please." Jessa pleaded as she looked at Hope, "Please don't do this," Tears fell down her cheek.

Merk cocked his head and slid his thumb up her cheek, wiping the tear away, and then popped it into his mouth.

"Mmmm. Sweet." He smirked and then leaned down to lick the other side of her face where her tears had fallen. "So, fucking sweet. Tell me, what can I do to make more of those?" He grinned and laughed at her as she pulled from him and closed her eyes.

"Oh, yes." He looked down at her, "I see why he chose you," His large hand slid up her waist and groped her round breast. He licked his lips and pressed close to her ear. "You know how long it's been since I had a hand full o' tit?" He asked loudly as he spoke into her ear.

"Toooo long." He answered for her as he pulled her over to the fetid blankets. The smell of sweat, unwashed body, and rot wafted up to her.

"It's very hard to find a sturdy girl who can take it anymore." He said as he ran his hand over her curly locks. "And you're pretty. Sure, we've got some women like us, but they ain't soft," He said as he grabbed a handful of her bottom.

He pulled her against him and began to grind against her. Jessa opened her eyes and found that she was looking out a window into the steely eyes of Severus. The clever wizard ducked down quickly.

The wheels in her head were spinning wildly, and she ran her shaking hands up the large man's heavily muscled arms.

"It's - It's been so long for me, too." She choked on the words and looked up at him fearfully. "But y-you don't want to hurt me, do you?" She asked coyly.

Merk cocked his head, "Ooooh, It don't have to hurt, lovely." He shook his head and rubbed his engorged shaft against her. She could feel the thing, like a battering ram against her stomach. She fought the urge to push away from the man. He turned to push her against the wall with his own back to the door.

"I bet you could make me feel really good," She said haltingly. Her fear was evident, but the man seemed to think that she was intrigued. He watched her small hand slide up his chest, and he caught her fingers in his massive hand and moved it south slowly. His eyes were trained on her face.

Jessa's eyes were wide and she swallowed thickly as he placed her hand on his manhood. Every fiber of her being told her this was wrong, disgusting, but she knew that if she pulled away this would go wrong, very wrong and quickly.

"Oh," She said shakily.

"Yeah," Merk wagged his eyebrows, "Bet that skinny little shit didn't have a tool like that, did he?" He asked as he bent his head down and began sucking on her neck. He pulled back her wild hair and began massaging her breast roughly.

"Stroke it," He ordered.

Jessa closed her eyes and gripped him. She was unable to close her hand around it, but she rubbed it stroking his enormous shaft. He began to grunt loudly and jerk into her.

What happened next occurred too quickly for her mind to comprehend. Merk's body flew back against the far wall roughly. The man rose, enraged. His eyes focused on Severus and he hunkered down and charged forward. He made it two steps before Severus drew his fists from his sides, screamed something intelligibly, and brought his hands together with a bright flash.

Merk . . . Merk exploded. The sound was defining.

Jessa blinked attempting to regain her sight and quickly drew her hand over her head as the blood and gore rained down on them.

Hope was still curled in a ball, and Jessa ran over to the girl. The child screamed until Jessa managed to pull her hands from her ears. When Hope realized that she was in her mother's arms, her little voice shook with fear, "Mommy! Mommy!" Jessa wiped her chubby face, only succeeding in smearing the blood on her daughter's pale skin. Hope yelled repeatedly, keening and rocking as her mother hushed her soothingly. Jessa rubbed her back and cried with relief and fear. She looked to Severus and tried to regain her bearings.

Power coursed through his veins as his chest rose and fell violently. He joined them and knelt beside them. His long arms encircled them, pulling them to him gently.

"Severus, oh Severus," Jessa's hands shook as they roamed over his familiar and beloved visage. She peppered his face with kisses and he kissed her back roughly.

"Jessa," He whispered harshly as he held on to them both tightly.

He pulled back slowly and looked at them both. "We need to go now, " He shook his head and his eyes pleaded with them, "We need to hurry."

Fran peeked into the room and then ran to them. She threw her arms around Jessa and Hope, and the woman kissed her head.

Severus stood, picked up Fran and pulled Jessa up with him. "Can you run?" He asked her. She nodded.

"Do you want me to carry Hope?" The little girl looked to him and shook her head violently as her arms wove about her mother's neck. She clearly wasn't letting go.

Severus cast a weightless charm on her and felt the exhaustion slip further into his bones. He wasn't use to using so much power at once. He had a feeling that he needed to learn how to achieve this result with far less output.

He took Jessa's hand and concentrated, casting a disillusionment charm on them. They would travel as quickly as they could, but it would be hard in the daylight. The cloud cover was heavy, but the light was bright enough for any rogue wildmen to find them easily.

He followed his path back to where he had lost the others, and then cast a new tracking charm to locate Harry. They walked for most of the day, stopping to wash off and drink from a small stream. Severus pulled out his pemmican and they each had some. They gave Hope and Fran some jerky to chew on while they walked. It was late in the evening when the tracks led them to a large building. There was a large sign that proclaimed "The Rose and Thorn, a bed and breakfast."

Harry met them as they came up the steps. "Are you alright?" The boy asked worriedly as he hugged Severus and stepped back to examine him, his eyes took in their bloody clothing. "Are you hurt?"

Severus patted the boys shoulder and shook his head, "It's none of ours, but Merk won't be following us." He said decidedly, "Now, if you don't mind. We are exhausted." He said blandly. Though, as Harry had drawn closer, he had felt his own energy level rise. He mulled it over as he followed the young man inside.

Harry grinned, "Sure, we've saved a room for you." Harry led them to a room up the stairs.

"I'll be standing the first watch if you want to get some sleep. Hermione managed to find some food if you're hungry?" He looked at them questioningly.

Severus shook his head, "No, we've got a little in our pack to tide us over until morning. Unless the girls . . "His voice trailed off as he realized that both girls were asleep.

"There's a room off this one," he opened the door to reveal an adjacent room with two twin beds. There was only one small window and the only outlet was through the main room. Severus cast a cleansing charm on the girls, and they put them to bed. "There's hot water too. I'll be downstairs."

Severus nodded. "Come and get me when you need to sleep." He said, brooking no argument.

Harry nodded and left them in peace.

Jessa began to draw bath water in the large tub. She took off her ragged dress, and Severus charmed it clean and repaired it.

Groaning, she sank into the hot water. Severus handed her a bar of scented soap and a rag. "Come in and wash my back." She smiled up at him.

Severus looked down at her hungrily. Watching Merk touch her had been infuriating, and there was a strong need within him to erase that memory and replace those hands with his. He stripped while she watched.

Her longing eyes roamed over his lean body. He had put on weight while traveling with her, and while he was still thin, he had filled in some and his muscles seemed to be gaining mass. His long legs slid down on either side of her and she felt his desire bobbing gently behind her. She pushed back against him, and Severus groaned.

"Jessa," He whispered as he kissed her shoulder and moved her hair to trail kissed up her neck. "Do you know how badly I want you?" He asked.

"Want me?" She asked turning around slowly. She rose from the water on her knees. Her submerged skin had grown pink from the heat of the water and glistened as rivulets wove sinuously down her body, dripping back into the tub. Severus' eye followed one drop to the tip of her rosy nipple. He leaned forward to capture it with his tongue.

Jessa gasped as she watched him gently take her nipple into his mouth.

Her hand cupped his head and her damp fingers slid through the lank strands of his hair. Those long arms reached around her, sliding up her back and back down to tease her round bottom as his mouth sucked lazily at her breast.

"Severus?" She mewled as she arched into him.

"Yes, Jessa?" He asked pulling away from her breast.

She spread legs, bringing her face to face with him as she leaned into his body; her breasts was flush against his chest and her pert nose only inches from his. "What do you want, Severus?" She teased.

"I want you." He said matter-of-factly. He knew she wanted more than this declaration, but he struggled to put his feelings into words.

She tilted her head as her hand slid around his neck, "I want you too." Her lips teased his. She smiled as her small nose nuzzled his, "Would you wash my hair?" She asked.

Severus smirked, "Sit up." He pinched her bottom and she squeaked. The curvy woman leaned back and wet her long hair and sat up; the water streamed from her long locks.. Severus took the shampoo from the side of the tub and lathered her hair gently, running his fingers through her hair languorously. Jessa leaned back and Severus rinsed her hair, enjoying the way the wild strands swirled in the water. She sat up and wiped the water from her eyes before climbing onto his lap and returning the favor. Her fingers lingered over his silky lock. Severus took the bar of soap and slid it over her skin, down her back, over her bottom, and between her legs. He watched her with hooded eyes as he teased her. She continued to wash his hair, her fingers dragging over his scalp, down his neck, and over his shoulders as he drew his own hands forward and lathered her lovely breasts. Taking the bar from him, she slowly washed him as well, lingering on his thigh and then used the fragrant soap to stroke his stiff shaft.

He pulled her to him, sloshing water over the side of the bathtub. "Severus," Jessa said breathily, "take me to bed."

Severus groaned, stood, and lifted her from the tub. Her skin was slippery and wet against him as they trailed water across the hardwood floor. He mutely thanked Harry for tending to this room. The bed was clean and inviting, and the worn cotton sheets were soft against their bare skin as Severus joined her on the bed. His hands roamed over her naked body as he slid on top of her. His knee pushed between her legs, nudging them apart. Their lips met in a passionate kiss; Severus felt as if he were drowning in her. He had thought of this moment, dreamed of it for so many nights. Loneliness had begun to wear at him as he traveled. What was all of this for if not for such moments, this beautiful thing that had bloomed between them? He pulled back and gazed down at the woman that he had wanted, needed for so long. She was perfection to him, with her full lips, sweet face, and curvy body. He couldn't imagine wanting any woman more than he wanted her, and he couldn't imagine life without her.

"Marry me," He asked her. "Marry me, Jessa." His voice was sure and firm as he sat up, opened his palm, and caught his bag as it flew to him across the room. He rifled through it and pulled out a small ring. It had been in his pocket when he awoke. It had been in the black suit he had been wearing. He suspected that the antique ring had been a family heirloom. The white gold ring featured a cushion cut emerald flanked by two large diamonds. It gleamed in the magically lit room.

"Jessa?" He asked.

His dark, vulnerable eyes met hers, and he could feel his heart beating in his ears. The minute details seemed burned into his mind, her full lower lip, which curled down like a petal, and those sooty lashes that fluttered on her blushing cheek. Her brown eyes met his jubilantly.

"Yes!" Jessa leaped forward and wrapped her arms around him.

Severus kissed her. Jessa held out her hand and smiled as Severus slid the ring on her finger. Shifting forward awkward, Severus kissed her almost desperately. He would never be lonely again, he would never feel bereft again. He would have a family, a wife, a lover, a companion. Clenching, his throat constricted with emotion, and his hands gripped tightly as he pulled her to him. Memories, cruel, hurtful, lonely, empty, violent memories buffeted him. And like a ship amidst the torrent, he rocked. Her soft body lay against him, giving succor and relief.

"Severus?" Jessa held him and stroked his head gently as she might Hope in her moments of distress. She turned her head to kiss his cheek, and he seemed to come alive with a different need.

He turned his long, pale face towards hers and kissed her hungrily. His eyes devoured her, and his hands stroked, caressed, and teased. Jessa's head lolled back in pleasure as his mouth teased and sucked her sensitive skin.

His arms, strung with thick ropy muscles, laid her down on the soft bed, and his mouth continued its worshipful journey across her body. He teased the hollow near her collarbone, and she arched up to press her breasts against him. His long fingers found those round globes and stroked them to attention.

"Please, Severus," Jessa whimpered.

Severus, the predator, looked down on her with those sharp, shining eyes. "Patience," He intoned.

His mouth trailed kisses across her full breasts; they were a mother's breasts heavy and round. The nipples sat low and dusky as the swollen, stiff points jutted toward him, begging to be pleasured. He complied willingly, laving and sucking as Jessa moaned and gasped.

Those pale, long fingered hands slid across her body, over the curve of her nipped in waist, the fullness of her round hip, and the softness of her stomach. She was like some fertility goddess come to life, and he worshiped her as his mouth drew lower. He kissed the long scar over her pubic area, a sign that Hope had been pulled from her womb.

Gently, hands pushed and legs opened; his eyes feasted on the glistening petals of her sex. He drew forward, and his tongue tasted the source of her for the first time, teasing those pink lips apart.

Her hips surges forward, and his strong hands gripped and steadied her as he continued his exploration. His hooked nose buried into her musky sex, teasing the bundle of nerves as he sucked at her dewy lips. Flicking and teasing, his tongue laved the little nub, and Jessa began to move against his mouth and moan louder. He was thankful that he had remembered to cast a silencing charm when he slipped his finger inside of her and she gripped the bed and moaned his name. Hearing his name on her lips lit something inside of him. He felt his heart clench and his desire rise as he began to thrust his fingers inside of her. His mouth sucked and teased her clit as his fingers pushed against her pleasure spot. Thrusting more quickly, he drew back to place feathered flicks across her nub; her hips rocked and she chanted a litany of "Oh's," as she drew closer to her climax. He felt her muscles tense, and he drove his fingers roughly inside of her. Her body arched as she screamed his name and her sweet body gushed that lovely dew over his fingers.

Severus felt a sense of pride and satisfaction at her pleasure, watching her body arch up, her nipples pucker and her mouth open in ecstasy. She whimpered as he drew out her bliss; his fingers thrusting roughly again, pushing against her flesh and bringing her to yet another orgasm. Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she mewled. Trembling, her muscles quivered and quieted as he withdrew his drenched fingers. His tongue replaced the wet digits as his hands pushed her legs wider. The dexterous muscle slithered inside of her as she squirmed, and he lapped up her sweet nectar.

He sat up, kneeling in front of her. His thick, stiff shaft bobbed eagerly, his mouth glistened, and his bottomless eyes glowed with desire. Jessa's eyes rounded as she took in his length and girth. She attempted to rise shakily and reached out her hand to caress his swollen sex. He gasped as her nimble fingers slid down to cup his sack and tease him. Grunting, he gripped her small wrist, pulled her hand away, and pushed gently on her shoulders so that she was lying before him spread open and waiting.

He drew over her; his lips sought hers as his hand guided his length to her wet entrance. He pulled back his foreskin and rubbed the swollen head on her sex. Jessa drew her legs up, opening wide to him.

"Please, Severus," She begged and he complied.

His eyes never left her face as he began to push into her tight, hot sheath. The pleasure was exquisite. Jessa's fingers dug into his broad shoulders as he pushed forward. She gritted her teeth against the burning, stretching feeling. He was so thick, and the sense of being filled with him was delicious. She bit her lip, and her eyes rolled back as she moaned in pleasure.

"Oh, Severus," She panted

He pushed ahead, burying himself to the hilt and paused, letting her adjust to him. Her muscles clamped down like a vice, and he breathed deeply to calm the urge to ram into her and spill himself prematurely. He couldn't remember ever having felt such pleasure or such all-consuming desire for anyone. This woman meant more to him than just a random coupling or one night of pleasure, and what they shared tonight would set the tone for future encounters. He wanted to love her, body and soul. He wanted to become one with her, and he wanted her to want him, to need him, to beg him for it.

His hips drew back slowly as he began to make love to Jessa. It felt as if he had waited his whole life for her, and his smoldering eyes never left her face. Rocking gently, he leaned down to capture her lips. Jessa's hands teased his back gently as she relaxed and her body adjusted to the sheer size of him. The moans and gasps of pleasure flowed endlessly from her kiss swollen lips as he began to thrust more urgently inside of her.

"Yes,' She moaned, "More," She begged him, and Severus complied.

He felt her wetness cover him as she quivered deliciously. Her body trembled as it drew closer to release. He grunted as her body teased him and set him on fire. The smell of her, the taste of her skin, the sound of her voice in rapture cooing, begging, and finally pleading overwhelmed him.

"Severus!" She gasped and wrapped her legs about his hips, urging him on as her body rose up to meet him with each thrust.

He began to drive more roughly, his hips slamming forward as he stroked swiftly inside of her.

She arched and her body tensed, her muscles pulled at his thick shaft. He moaned loudly as his pleasure followed hers shortly. Her loud cry was coupled with his own shout. Their names entwined as were their bodies. Drops of sweat rained down on her from his pleasure contorted face.

He emptied his hot seed into her welcoming body, and she moaned wantonly, thrusting her breast forward. His mouth descended eagerly to suck of the hard, swollen nub as he continued to pound into her clenching sheath.

Jessa bucked, moaned, and writhed beneath him in rapture as he gently slowed his rhythm, punctuating his thrusts with a roll of his hips and causing her to mewl with pleasure.

Spent, he relaxed on top of her; his narrow hips were cradled in her soft thighs, a his tongue teased lazily at her breast. He slid forward, their sweat drenched skin sliding deliciously, and his mouth captured hers hungrily. His shaft slowly softened inside of her, but he enjoyed the random quivering of her sex around him as their tongues delved into one another brazenly. He felt the little wanton grind of her hips as she pushed her sex against him, seeking a little friction. Her wetness was sticky and inviting, and he longed to take her again; though, he would need some time to recover.

He pulled from her enjoying the teasing friction, and she moaned disappointedly at the loss of the feeling of fullness, the connection.

"Was that . . . satisfactory?" His eyebrows rose in mock curiosity as he rolled to his side and pulled her against his long frame. Her soft flesh pressed against him, and she drew her leg over his. He swallowed thickly at the feel of her wet sex pressing against his hip. It wouldn't be long before he was ready for her again, and he would enjoy bending her over, grabbing those lovely hips and pushing into that heat again and again until she screamed his name.

"Mmmmm, yess," She drew the words out dangerously as she arched against him like a cat in heat.

His hooded eyes drew down into mischievous slits as he reached forward to toy with her breast, "Are you sure?" he asked in a sing-song voice as he plucked her nipple.

Jess a gasped and arched into him, grinding her core against him. "Severus," She whined.

She smiled naughtily and slid her own hand down to tease him. He jerked and gasped as she rubbed against the sensitive head of his member and grunted as she ran her nails over his sack.

Playfulness ensued as he rolled over and trapped her with his body, teasing her swollen nipples and running his tongue over her ticklish ribs.

When she was too tired to laugh and begging him to stop, he rolled over and pulled her to him. She curled her buxom body against him, and he curled his long arms about her. Her head was on his shoulder, the plump thigh draped across his sex, and her arm was tucked about his chest. He knew in his heart that he had never felt so loved, so wanted, or so satisfied before in his entire life. He stayed awake long after her breathing had grown steady and deep, looking down on her sweet, upturned face and stroking her long, riotous curls.

* * *

Also, if you're looking for something fun to read, check out my other (finished) story: Under Your Spell. It's fluffy, but hopefully you'll find it entertaining!

I am co authoring a fic, the Charm of Making, with Peppernator0817 It is not copied we are just choosing to post on both accounts. This story is based (in part) on an RP from a site that can be found on google, merely search One More Time, One Less Lie. We portray only Severus and Arianna our lovely OC as well as a few others that may be dropped in from time to time. One More Time, One Less Lie is a Proboards run Roleplay site owned and run by Peppernator0817(Joyce). We are currently accepting applications and welcome all levels of experience. If you are interested google the name or visit onelesslie DOT proboards DOT com - just take out the spaces and place dots where needed.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask! I play Snape, and I'm always on the look out for more little Slytherin or interesting plots!


	14. Purgatorio Chapter 14

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by Warner Bros and JK Rowling. I make no money from this effort nor do I intend to.

Ok – sorry again that it took so long to get this up. We had a song fic. Challenge, and I responded. If you are interested, the title is Stay.

In this chapter, we meet a new . . . . . friend and find out more about others. I hope you enjoy it! We'll be on the move again soon. Thank you again to everyone who reads and reviews. I appreciate your support! (Chapter Title: Please allow me to introduce myself from Sympathy For The Devil – Rolling Stones)

14. Please Allow Me To Introduce Myself

It did not feel as if he had been asleep long when he heard a knock at the door. Severus pulled away from Jessa gently. He noticed that the bed was still damp and dried it with a wave of his hand. He really should have dried them both off before they made it that far. He leaned down and kissed her temple.

Jessa smiled sleepily and blinked her eyes, trying to focus on his face.

"Go back to sleep love." He whispered and smiled down at her, stroking his pale fingers through her dark hair..

Jessa reached up and grabbed his shirt, pulling him down for a lingering kiss.

"Stay," She bid him.

"I would, but Harry is waiting . . . right outside the door." He arched his brows high on his forehead.

Jessa giggled, "I'm sure it's nothing he hasn't heard before." She shrugged the blanked off of her shoulder and wiggled until her left breast peaked at him above the covers. If the warm bed was inviting, the thought of her was overpowering. He bent his head down and teased her breast and pulled back gently.

Harry knocked at the door again, "Severus?" He called through the door.

He smirked down at Jessa, cupped her face, and kissed her roughly, trusting his tongue into her mouth and fondling her breast.

"Severus!" She gasped breathily and reached down to run her hand down his pants. He grunted when she rubbed him through his underwear.

"You little vixen," He hissed.

Harry knocked on the door again, and Severus stood up abruptly, pulling Jessa with him. She giggled and Severus snorted as she extracted her arm from his pants.

Severus opened the door and Harry grinned at him sheepishly and handed him a large mug. He took it and looked back at Jessa, who had covered up and was peeking at him over the blankets. She smiled and shut the door slowly, his dark eyes focused on her until she was out of sight.

Harry's eyebrows were sitting high on his forehead and he was grinning as Severus turned around to face him.

"What's this?" He asked curiously as he sniffed the contents of the mug.

"Coffee," Harry said as he rubbed his eyes. "It's how I've stayed awake this long. Come on." Harry walked forward briskly and Severus followed.

The older man felt the wards before they ever drew near. The young man had evidently erected them after they arrived.

Harry whispered, "They've been swarming around here for the past three hours. They've followed your trail, but my wards have them befuddled." He snickered. They can't get closer than six feet without turning right around and going back where they came from. There is a new leader. I haven't seen the guy with the ponytail. Is he still a threat?" Harry asked.

Severus took a sip of the strong coffee and grimaced. "No . . . he won't be following us." He said matter-of-factly.

They stood for a time, quietly in the darkness waiting for the sun to rise.

Harry blinked and perked up as they heard some sort of commotion in the woods beside the house. They padded over to the edge of the wards and looked out into the waning night.

Whatever it was, it was approaching quickly. The sound of thunder seemed to fill the air, and a few trees were felled.

"What the bloody hell?" Harry whispered.

"I have no idea." Severus shrugged and his eyebrows rose high on his furrowed forehead as they glared out into the darkness.

XxxxXxxxXxxxX

There was another knock on the door, and Jessa got up, wrapped a sheet around herself and peaked out into the hall.

"Hi!" Hermione grinned at her. "I'm sorry, I couldn't sleep." The girl chattered as she pushed into the room. "Is it ok? If I come in?" She asked a startled Jessa, whose eyes were trained on the very large cardboard box the girl held in her hands.

Jessa nodded mutely and clenched the sheet around herself.

"You may want to take a look at this stuff before you get dressed." Hermione offered. "Harry made sure it was all clean . . . so. If you're interested. I just figured that, like me, you've been running around in the same clothes. And, since we ditched the camp for now . . . " She left the rest unspoken. They didn't know if they would even be able to go back for what they had left behind. She knew that Severus had downed the wards so that they could get through, and she vaguely remembered him putting them back up hastily before following them.

Hermione set the box on the floor with a soft grunt. "Well, there looks to be some things that are about your size. I found a lot of boxes like this in the attic. Evidently people left random things. When you're dressed, we can go check out the other stuff if you'd like.

Jessa giggled and tucked the sheet around her snugly. She grinned at Hermione as they opened the box. Surprisingly, she found quite a few items that she could wear. Thankfully, cotton was forgiving. The two pair of dark wash jeans she found were not as forgiving. They were really snug. Hermione assured her that they looked great, better than the shapeless dresses she had worn. She chose a black tank top and a dark purple hoodie. The underclothes were a bit racy, but her current bra needed to be washed . . . badly. She put on the lacy, bright pink bra and a pair of silky black panties. It was odd wearing someone else's clothing, but Hermione waved away her concerns.

"They aren't coming back for them, and Harry cast several cleansing charms on them." She sniffed one of the shirts. "They don't even smell like anything anymore." She shrugged.

Jessa folded up the lid on the box and carried the box back to the attic behind Hermione. They had found a few more items, but these had not been cleaned and were musty and dusty. Still, Severus should be able to take care of that.

The further back they god, the older the clothes were. There were horrid shirts with shoulder pads and pants with stirrups at the bottom. The jeans were a horrible acid washed color. Then, they got to the good stuff, the bellbottoms and wild paisley shirts. They were giggling as they took off their clean clothes and tried some of the strange clothes on. They had each accumulated piles of their own. The next box Hermione opened caused her to gasp. She handed the incredible gown to Jessa. It was an old fashioned silk peignoir. The gown was lacy and fit under the breast, and there was even a lovely robe that went with it. It was too large for Hermione, and she grinned at Jessa as the woman's eyes took in the lovely piece.

They had gone through the box and were sorting through the clothes they had found that they thought might fit the girls, Harry, Severus and even the other young man who was with them.

They had hauled the clothes into their respective rooms.

Jessa ran out her room when she heard the first crack outside. Hermione met up with the woman in the hallway.

"What was that?" The younger girl hissed as her eyes grew wide.

"I don't know." Jessa shook her head.

The next thud shook the house, and the young man who had recently joined them stepped out into the hallway and rubbed his eyes sleepily. "Is there a storm? It sounds like thunder." He said sleepily.

Hermione and Jessa raced past him, threw opened the front door and raced out of the house. Severus and Harry were staring out into the woods when the women joined them.

"What is it?" Jessa asked as she drew close to Severus and put her hand on his arm.

"We're not sure." Harry answered softly.

They heard yelling as a group of wildmen ran past, and soon there was another crack and a flash of what seemed to be lightning.

They saw a flash of long, blond hair in the dim light of the morning. It drew closer, and they watched as a swiftly moving hand sent bursts of power and light from the end of a wand. The figure was clearly outlined by the most recent burst of power. The long hair swirled and fanned as the figure fought off the beasts from all quarters. Soon, the wizard had backed himself up against their wards.

He was grunting with exertion as he fought off the wildmen. The figure turned to glare at them, "Well, Severus, are you going to let me in or am I going to have to have a conversation with you as I fight off these brutes?" The voice said in crisp, aristocratic tones.

Severus nodded to Harry, reached through the wards and pulled the man through just as the boy opened up a space large enough for the man to get through. The wildmen stood motionless, bewildered by the man's swift departure.

The pale man flicked his hair behind his shoulder and brushed off his fine, elaborately constructed robes. He huffed, "Well, it has certainly taken long enough to find you." The blond man hissed.

"Who are you?" Severus asked.

"Oh, lovely," The blond man sneered, "Well, this is going to be fun." He smiled in such a way as to give the impression that this would be anything but.

"Lucius Malfoy," He held out his hand and Severus eyed it warily.

Lucius rolled his eyes. "Believe it or not, we've been friends since you came to Hogwarts." The older man smirked.

"Hogwarts?" Severus furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Damn it Severus, Hogwarts, where we went to school together, a large castle and there is an old goat that runs the place?" Lucius rubbed the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes in exasperation.

"Listen, maybe we should go inside and talk about this calmly." Harmione replied.

Lucius took a moment to examine their faces, squinting in the darkness.

"Oh, look. It's everyone's favorite mudblood." He smirked.

"What did you call her?" Harry drew forward and grabbed the taller man's robes.

Lucius lifted his hands, "Oh, and its Harry Potter." Lucius threw back his head and laughed heartily.

When he had regained his composure he looked wryly at Severus, "Oh, Severus, I'm scandalized. Of all of the traveling companions to find you with," He chuckled and eyed Jessa.

Severus put his arm around her and glared at Lucius.

"Oh look," He said breezily, "You've got a mudblood of your own." He snickered.

Severus bristled. "Perhaps, you should go?" The dark haired wizard said sternly.

Lucius drew back as if slapped, "I'm sorry." He said, chastened. "That was quite rude of me. I'm afraid that my exasperation and frustration have rather gotten the best of me." He looked directly at Severus.

"Well, you certainly aren't endearing yourself to us any further." Jessa said softly.

Lucius chuckled, "No, indeed. You see, I've been searching for Severus, "he looked at the man intently, "for quite some time. My tracking charm was only recently effective." He began.

Severus held up his hand, and Lucius quieted.

"Let us go inside." Severus said and led them all inside to the kitchen.

Hermione put on a pot of coffee and Jessa helped her to begin making breakfast.

They looked at Lucius expectantly.

The large young man walked into the room, "What was all that ruckus?" He asked as he sat down next to Harry.

Lucius blinked, "Why am I not surprised," He said drolly.

"What are you lookin' at?" The young man asked as he pulled in his chair and grabbed several stale biscuits and began munching on them hungrily.

"Charming as usual, Mr. Weasley." Lucius replied, looking at the boy is if he were some sort of insect.

"Hey, how do you know who I am?" He asked with a mouth full of half chewed biscuit.

"Who are you, anyway?" Harry asked.

"Ron, Ron Weasley," The redhead replied and held out his crumb covered hand to Harry. He looked at it, dusted it off, and reached out again, "Sorry 'bout that." He grinned.

Harry shook the large had that was offered, gingerly.

"Oh . . . Oh that's rich." Lucius chuckled as if he, for all the world, were king of this rather shambled empire.

"What are you on about?" Harry asked.

Severus, Jessa, and Hermione were all looking at the blond man intently when Douglas and Mae walked in with Susan. "We thought it best to keep out of the way," the older man added as everyone turned to look at them. They took a seat in the corner at a cosy breakfast nook and listened quietly as Lucius began to speak.

"Well," He huffed, "It's probably best that I begin at the . . . beginning." He said as Hermione set a cup of tea in front of him. "Thank you, Miss. Granger." He said almost civilly.

"When Voldemort," he began.

"Who?" Various voices chimed in.

Lucius sighed and rubbed his forehead, "Listen, I'm going to tell my tale. Please keep all of your questions until I'm done. When Voldemort, the Dark Lord, decided on his course of action, I had a sudden surge of . . . self preservation strike me." He said haltingly.

"Somehow, I doubt it was sudden as much as premeditated." Hermione said archly.

Lucius glared at her before continuing, "I told Narcissa to come with me, but she had not yet arrived from her errand at Gringotts when the outpouring occurred.

I thought we had another hour, but I was wrong. I was waiting in the dungeon study. Do you remember it Severus?" He asked curiously and shook his head, "No, no you wouldn't. Anyway, its protections, the wards are ancient. It was said by my ancestors to be the safest place in the house; however, I believe my luck had nothing to do with the magic in the room but more the rock surrounding it. It's lined with igneous rock . . . obsidian, quite lovely." He mused.

"The . . . well, the only way I know to describe it is the outpouring of magic that occurred. I'm not sure what happened at Stonehenge," He looked at Severus curiously, "but everyone was affected. Muggle civilization seems to have fallen completely."

Harry snorted, "Tell us something we don't know." He frowned.

Lucius eyed the boy calmly and continued in his sharp, measured tones, "Voldemort, is just as clueless as you are." Lucius smiled knowingly. That means that the snake hasn't started building his forces yet, and that means I have time to jump off this sinking ship before I go down with it. I've already sent Narcissa and Draco to Hogwarts, but I'm not about to arrive there alone or without some . . . insurance. If Minerva has regained her faculties, she is more likely to curse first and ask questions later. As . . . I don't have the best of reputations." He finished wryly.

"You're jokin'" Ron said sarcastically.

Severus snorted, "Well, I can't say that I remember you, and honestly, you haven't made the best impression. However . . . if you prove yourself and if you prove that you are in earnest about you allegiances, you may travel with us." He eyed the well manicured man suspiciously.

"You've got to be joking. Travel with you?" He hissed as Danielle walked into the room blithely.

Lucius eyed her speculatively; his eyes focused on her throat for a moment, and he smirked.

Severus bristled, "Well, if you can't fall in line, you are welcome to leave." He hissed.

"No, why don't you just apparate to Hogwarts with me?" Lucius said exasperated.

"Do What?" Harry asked nervously.

"Apparate. I hold on to him and we disappear and then reappear somewhere else, Hogwarts preferably."

Jessa held on to Severus' arm tightly.

Lucius sighed, "I can take you both." He amended.

Douglas stood, "We won't make it without them." He said worriedly. He had seen the extent of Severus' power, and he knew that if they were to make it safely North they would need his help. They had no idea where they were going and no real clue how to go about getting there.

"I'm not going with you, anywhere." Severus spoke severely, frowning at Lucius. "If you want to travel with us, then you will travel as one of us. If you choose to apparate, you may do so whenever you like. But, I'll not vouch for you at the castle, Hogwarts, if I don't have something to base my opinion on." He waited for Lucius' answer.

He eyed the motley group speculatively. "Very well," He said through gritted teeth.

Jessa and Hermione had managed to cook the oats they found in the pantry. Their berries were all left at the campsite, and neither of them wanted to leave the house and explore for such a paltry reason. However, they did find some dark, rich honey to sweeten it with.

Harry directed Lucius to one of the free rooms. It was small, but the man claimed that he wasn't hungry and preferred to be alone.

The rest of the party sat uncomfortably in the kitchen, eating quietly. Ron looked at everyone sheepishly, "Um, I just wanna say, thank you for . . . for rescuing me." His lips drew into a thin line as he nodded towards Severus.

"You're welcome," The older man offered and shook Ron's meaty hand when he offered it.

They all eyed Danielle warily as she slid up behind Ron and let her hand linger on the young man's shoulder.

"Can I get you something else to eat?" She asked coyly.

"S-sure." Ron grinned at her.

Danielle seemed to respond well to his enthusiasm and fixed him another bowl. She sat down beside the burly redhead and started chatting about random things. Ron nodded as he shoveled food down his throat.

They waited several days before heading back to their old campsite. They had raided the charming bed and breakfast of everything usable they could find. Severus found Jessa's new clothing more than a little disconcerting. He had noticed Ron's eyes lingering over her when they were in a room together. Her breasts were not clearly outlined by the tight fitting tops, and the jeans she wore were driving him positively mad. He was glad that they had now become intimate; he wasn't sure what it would have done to him to see her like that and not be able to touch her.

In addition to a fair amount of dry goods, canned foods, bedding, tools, and clothing, they had also gotten a great deal of much needed rest. Lucius had been the only one walking around on pins and needles, anxious to leave.

They traveled swiftly through the woods and found their old campsite, undisturbed. They loaded up their wagons, Danielle offered to seat Ron on her Horse, and Lucius rode with Douglas and Mae, as Severus and Jessa were carrying a full load as it was. They rode through the first day and night without stopping, covering a large area of wilderness. It was impossible to determine exactly how far they had come, but they hoped that they had pulled out of the range of the wild men.

It began to mist rain, and everyone huddled inside for warmth. Jess and Severus pulled out extra skins to enclose the cart. Hermione and Harry lay curled at their feet, and Severus, Jessa, Hope and Fran covered up under their blankets. The wonderful part had been when Severus enlarged the mattresses they had taken. It was nice to lay on something soft after enduring all that bouncing on the hard surface of the wooden cart.

Jessa was interested to see that Ron climbed out of Danielle's tent the next morning. They were still flitting around each other like nervous teenagers, and she had a really bad feeling about the situation.

"I . . . I think you should say something." She whispered to Severus as she handed him his breakfast.

"I'm sorry?" He furrowed his brow, puzzled.

He watched Douglas and Mae take down their tent as Jessa sat beside him gingerly.

"Severus, I don't want something . . . bad to happen. If he finds out . . ." She left it open.

"If who finds out?" He asked curiously.

Jessa nodded to Ron, who was helping Jessa pack up her own tent.

Severus took another bite, seeming to mull it over, "I really don't want to step into that." He said uncomfortably.

"Severus, who then?" She looked at him pleadingly.

Danielle had drawn closer to kiss Ron and wrap her arms around the young man's neck. Lucius coughed into his hand elegantly as Ron walked off. They watched as Lucius whispered in Danielle's ear, and the woman's eyes grew round with shock.

Danielle never spoke as Lucius walked away silently.

Jessa sighed, "Well, I have a feeling that this is not going to end well." She stood and looked at Danielle pensively.

Severus was distracted by her form as she stood and ultimately walked over to the woman to have a word. Jessa seemed to dither a moment, unsure as to what to say. When they did start talking, Jessa saw Danielle grow more uncomfortable. It was impossible to hear what they were saying, as they were whispering.

Severus seemed to realize that he was a wizard and he cast a charm to allow himself to hear them.

"Listen, I'll tell him. Our pretty blond haired friend told me that I should, out of common courtesy, tell Ron . . ." Danielle sighed.

"I, I don't mean to upset you," Jessa spoke carefully. "The last thing I want is to cause a problem." She said.

Danielle rolled her eyes, "Of course, you don't. You tiptoe around everyone trying to make them all happy because you're so damn perfect." Danielle said dryly. There was a little bitterness in her voice but no spite. "Maybe you would be better off pissing people off now and then. It is far less irritating that this sweet doll routine you have going on." The woman groused jealousy.

Jessa stepped back gingerly, "Listen I'm . . ."

Danielle cut her off with a sigh, "Don't, just don't fucking apologize again. I'll tell him . . . tonight." She sighed dejectedly.

They packed up and traveled late into the day. Lucius seemed to be a little worse for the wear. He got as far away from Douglas, Mae . . . . and Susan as he could. He seemed to need a bit of peace and quiet. No one was shocked when he transfigured a log into a tent of his own and slept away from the group that night.

Not long after they had all retired, Severus sat up, jostling Jessa awake.

"What is it?" She asked curiously.

"YOU'RE . . . YOU'RE A . . . WHAT?" A male voice yelled.

Severus donned his jacket and dashed out of the cart. Jessa followed quickly after him. Ron was standing outside of Danielle's tent with his shirt off and his pants undone. His chest was rising and falling rapidly.

Danielle had exited the tent after him and was busy buttoning up her own dress. Douglas and Mae had thought it better to stay out of it, but Lucius exited quickly and was standing beside Ron almost immediately.

Severus drew closer as Ron began to yell and look accusingly at all of them.

"You all knew? You all knew and no one said anything?" He shouted angrily.

Jessa drew close and tried to calm him a bit, "We thought it was a private matter, something Danielle would discuss with you." She said softly.

"Ron looked accusingly at Harry, Severus and then Lucius, "How would you feel if you were in the middle of . . . of . . . and the g-girl you were with decided to tell you that she was really a bloke?" He asked angrily and ran his hand through his mussed hair.

"I'm not a man." Danielle hissed.

"Well, you've got the equipment!" Ron accused.

Jessa drew back uncomfortably.

"I'm NOT a man!" Danielle yelled.

"Then what are you?" Ron asked, "Because, you're not a woman either! You've got . . . you've got tits but . . ." He pointed at her small breasts.

"This is just too confusing." He huffed and walked off.

Danielle broke down in tears and ran back to her tent.

"I think you had better go talk to . . . her." Severus said.

Jessa shook her head, "Actually, I think you would be better at that." She looked at him earnestly.

Severus sighed and rubbed his eyes and met her gaze steadily. Gritting his teeth he sighed again, "Alright . . . but I want to make this clear. I'm doing this for you." He said crossly.

Jessa smiled, patted his back, and returned to the cart.

Severus stood outside of Danielle's tent awkwardly. He could not knock as there was nowhere to knock.

"Danielle?" He called to her softly. She didn't answer, so he called again, "Danielle?"

The woman sniffed, "What do you want?" She asked in a trembling voice

"Can we talk?" He asked softly.

There was a pause, and then she opened the door.

"Well, talk." She said not meeting his eyes.

"Why didn't you just tell him, and why on earth did you wait until that moment to do it? It seems rather foolish." He barreled out with his take on the matter.

Severus could only see her shadow, with the meager moonlight the tent let in. Her posture indicated that she was far from alright.

"I . . . I was hoping that he would want me anyway. I was hoping that it wouldn't matter." She sniffed.

"Danielle," He began more carefully this time. "There will be a man out there who will love you just the way you are, but you have to be honest about . . . your situation. If Jessa were a man, I might befriend her . . . him . . but there would be no way that I would be intimately involved with her." He finished lamely. "People have certain expectations when they meet a woman, and unfortunately, most of them are not . . . open minded about such delicate matters." His attempt to comfort her fell flat. He wasn't sure how to proceed at this point.

"Yes, yes I know. This isn't the first time I've met with this kind of reaction." She huffed.

"And yet, you decided to try it again?" He asked snidely.

Danielle snorted. "Yes . . . good point." She shrugged. "I don't remember what happened before, but I imagine that there were a lot of people who didn't agree with my decision to start taking the hormones and dress as a woman. The people that I have met so far haven't been very comfortable with it either." She replied glumly.

"Well, you can't change how people think, but you can change how you react to them." He said sagely. "Be honest, but don't let their behavior determine how you live your life. That only gives them power over you." He patted her shoulder awkwardly.

It's alright, Severus." Danielle wiped her eyes. "And thank you for the advice. I'll take it to heart." She said earnestly, never meeting his eyes.

"She's a lucky woman, you know." She said bashfully, "Jessa. She has found herself a good man. I . . . I'm sorry about . . . what I did or any problems I may have caused. I guess I just wanted what you two seemed to have, a perfect little family." She admitted.

Severus shifted uncomfortably, "Thank you." He nodded, unsure as to what he should say.

Danielle giggled, "Well, I'll have to admit that I wasn't particularly attracted to you, but you are striking in your own way, very competent, and you seem to have taken care of Jessa quite nicely."

Severus frowned. On one hand he was relieved that she didn't want him, but on the other, his feathers were ruffled because . . . she hadn't found him particularly appealing.

"Oh, don't be so grumpy." She teased, "Everyone has their type, and Jessa seems perfectly smitten with you just the way you are." She pointed out.

Severus shook his head, "So, you'll be alright?"

"Yes, and Severus?" Danielle looked at him earnestly.

"You really ARE a good man." She smiled as he exited without comment.

* * *

I just want to apologize if this fic has fallen below anyone's expectations. I put this up so quickly that I often miss errors and inconsistencies. So, if I miss anything, please feel free to point it out. I know I have a graphic style, and I tend to focus on angst ridden interactions. This might not appeal to all readers, so if you don't like it, I'm sorry. I don't mind criticism or hearing about what you like or what you didn't like. Of course, I am always disappointed when someone finds fault with my work, but that is to be expected, given my terrible editing and lack of thorough revision.

So, feel free to message me with any issues, and I hope you enjoy it despite the poor editing and other issues. Thank you for reading this far!


	15. Purgatorio Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is owned by Warner Bros and JK Rowling. I make no money from this effort nor do I intend to.

Ok – sorry again that it took so long to get this up. Life got really hectic. And this chapter gave me some trouble. Thank you to everyone who is still patiently reading Please leave feedback – good or bad. Take care!

(Chapter Title: Mercy in Darkness by Two Steps from Hell)

15 Mercy in Darkness

"Hermione! Hermione!" Ronald Weasley tore through the campsite. Lucius had begrudgingly allowed the boy to sleep on a pallet in his rather luxurious tent. The boy had woken that morning with a memory returned, the memory of Hermione. They had been . . . well, he didn't know exactly. But he remembered his feelings for the pretty girl. He remembered that they had been very close and had even kissed.

He stood outside of the tent . . . their tent, panting. "Hermione!" He shouted. "Come out, now!" he shouted angrily. He heard frantic movements in the tent as the two lovers scuttled around putting themselves in order. Harry stepped out first, straightening his glasses; Ron seethed at the shorter more finely built young man. The redhead clenched his fists and flared at Hermione as she exited the tent.

Hermione was taken aback and drew close to Harry, wrapping her hand around the dark haired boy's arm.

"I've just remembered." Ron said, glaring at them both. "Hermione was my girlfriend." He spoke accusingly.

Both Harry and Hermione looked at Ron incredulously. Hermione started giggling until she doubled over laughing hysterically. Ron drew his lips in a thin line and narrowed his eyes. The slender girl rose and wiped her eyes, trying to get her laughter under control.

"Listen," She giggled, "I don't know what you're trying to pull, but you can just stop RIGHT now." She said disbelievingly. "I can't imagine any universe in which I liked you in that way. You're . . . well, you're just not my type." She said looking at him quizzically. He seemed like such a tetchy fellow. His eating habits were atrocious; he spoke with his mouth full. One moment he had been all over Danielle, and then last night he had treated her horribly. Regardless of the woman's faults, no one deserved to be treated so awfully. And, she just wasn't physically attracted to him. He was . . . big, like a large, overgrown puppy. He didn't seem overly bright either.

Hermione knew that wasn't very charitable of her; she didn't know him. But she found that she didn't really want to get to know him in that way. Harry, she had liked from the moment she had met the easygoing boy. He was thoughtful, kind, and unassuming, and he was certainly powerful and intelligent. She admired his quick thinking and those beautiful eyes. He was so finely built too, like some perfect sculpture. She sighed remembering the way his hands traveled over her body. She couldn't' imagine Ron's large paws groping her clumsily.

Severus strode over speculatively, looking at the group of young people and awaiting another outburst. "Ron?" He watched the boy curiously. "Is everything alright?"

Ron ran his hand through his russet colored hair, shook his head, and threw out his hand in disgust. "Yeah, not much I can do about it now." He said sullenly, giving them all a hangdog look.

"Oh, honestly," Hermione said, "It isn't as if we were married. I certainly don't remember you, and I didn't do this to hurt you. But, I love Harry." She pleaded for him to understand.

"You do?" Harry looked at her smiling.

Hermione blushed, "Yes," She grinned, and Harry pulled her close and kissed her.

Severus rolled his eyes, "Well, pick up, we'll be leaving soon." He shook his head and walked away, leaving them to settle this on their own.

Ron looked at them sullenly before wandering off and muttering to himself. He managed to squeeze in Douglas and Mae's cart, and neither he nor Lucius were very happy about the lack of room.

It was early morning when the set off, and the dew lit up like diamonds on the fresh grass. However, as they traveled throughout the morning, Severus looked around him and noticed the landscape changing as they left the wooded area. Their decision to head further west had been born of need, the need to escape the wildmen. Avoiding heavily populated areas had seemed the best course of action. That had led them deep into the forest. Their progress was slow, and a glance at the map Severus had filched revealed that they were on their way out of Brecon Beacon's National park. They began traveling north to avoid the open country situated to their west near Maen Lila, a Bronze Age standing stone . Severus had felt its power as they had traveled closer, and now that they were headed north, he felt the magic waning.

He was disturbed by the changing landscape as they headed further north. Spring was in full force in the forest, but the green growth seemed to be retreating and, the landscape seemed to fade. It was very gradual, and he did not mark the noted difference until they were nearly two days out of the woods. The countryside was hilly, but the grass and trees seemed looked as if they were still suffering the pall of winter.

Even more disturbing were the skeletons hung on the utility poles, they became more frequent as they drew near Newton. Severus suggested that they leave the main road and into the Shropshire Hills. The terrain was still open, but they were far less likely to run into people. They had just settled behind a hill and nestled their carts beneath several trees when they heard yelling.

Severus disillusioned himself and scuttled up the hill just in time to see a woman running, screaming just north of them. She was headed east, but she was followed closely by a group of men. They seemed to race frantically toward her, reaching. Their movements were odd as they raced in veering patterns behind her, almost as if they were prolonging the chase and feeding off of her panic. They were herding her.

Severus used his wand to aim a curse directly at one of the men chasing the woman. He fell with a blood chilling scream. One of the others went back for him, inspected the down man's wound, and looked up frantically trying to spot them. He was looking in their general area, but they were invisible to his untrained eye, while any wizard would have noticed the tell-tale signs of a disillusionment charm.

Severus watched the mobile man weigh his options and run back the way he came, never sparing a backward glance for the woman. There was still another man pursuing the screaming female. Severus took him down as well. The man fell with a scream and gave a feeble attempt at crawling away. The woman looked back when she heard him yell. She paused momentarily and looked towards their location and began jogging in their general direction.

"It's as if she knows where we are." Harry whispered.

Severus nodded, "It is possible that they had spoken of our approach and that precipitated her escape." He suggested, but the look on his face was very suspicious.

"Should we do something about those two?" The young man looked at him with bright, curious eyes.

"No, let's get moving. If there are more headed this way, after her," He nodded at the woman who was now walking quickly and holding her side, "then we will want to be well on our way when they get here." His low baritone voice rumbled softly.

Harry nodded.

They had readied their animals when the woman arrived. Severus and Harry met her before she rounded the copse of trees their group was hiding behind. Even the animals had been quiet at her approach.

She seemed at a loss when Harry spoke to her. She looked up at the dower Severus with no little sense of trepidation, and he viewed the unkempt woman with hostility. He did not trust her, and he was not going to hide his disdain. His duty, as he saw it, was to protect his family and extended family including Douglas and Harry's families. Everyone else was subject to intense scrutiny, and with several young girls to look after, he did not want to misplace trust errantly.

The woman introduced herself as Chase. She was unwashed and smelled of death; her clothes seemed spattered with blood. Given the glazed look in her hungry, dead eyes, he assumed that she had seen a great deal of death and suffered mistreatment at the hands of her captors. He wanted to avoid putting Jessa, Hope and Fran at risk of such danger, and the thought of taking this woman in seemed to represent a risk. Taking her with them could bring down the ire of these crazed cannibals.

Severus sighed, knowing that he should do the right thing. He nodded to Harry and turned, leaving the decision of her travel arrangements to the young man. He knew that Harry would not put her in their cart. They had no room, and surely, the young man had read his own dislike for the woman. She couldn't keep up on foot, so she would need to ride with someone.

Harry approached Danielle, and the woman only agreed after Chase was cleaned several times with a cleansing charm. She had shrieked in panic when the magic touched her skin, but she soon settled as Harry helped her to climb up behind the woman.

The day was warm and dry as they headed east, trying to avoid the turmoil that the suspected was ahead of them. The hills were becoming steadily more difficult to traverse, but they traveled as quickly and safely as they could, not stopping until evening was well upon them.

"We'll be getting an early start," Severus spoke abruptly. "No fires, and make as little noise as possible." He said urgently. Their light dinner of jerky was barely palatable, and they ate some of the bread that had been put under stasis. Everyone was asleep, save for Harry and Severus.

"Do you want to take the first watch?" He asked the young man.

Harry shook his head, "No, I really need some rest. Can you manage the first watch and wake me up in a few hours?" He asked.

Severus nodded watched as Harry joined the girls in the cart. The older wizard shook the boy awake four and a half hours later, knowing that he would only get a few hours himself before he awoke at dawn.

He lay down by Jessa as Harry headed out to patrol the camp quietly. He awoke with a start a few hours later, when Harry shook him awake violently.

"I'm sorry," Panic was evident in his young voice. "I leaned up against the cart and nodded off, and I'm sorry." Severus blinked at him rapidly.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

Harry gestured next to Fran, where Hope usually lay curled up against her mother. With Harry gone, Hermione had laid down on the other side of Fran, so there was no one to feel the little girl as she stepped over their sleeping forms and out of the cart. For some reason, she had left the cart, whether to go to the bathroom or . . .

"There is no sign of her?" He asked, now wide awake.

Harry shook his head. Severus looked out into the darkness and a clenching panic seized him as well. He shook Jessa awake. "You need to wake now, Jessa." He said urgently.

"What?" She looked at him groggily and patted the cold blanket beside her. She looked around and noticed Harry's wide eyes and Severus' clenched jaw. "Where is Hope?" She asked fearfully.

Severus shook his head and he and Harry climbed out of the cart. He cast a locating charm and watched as Hope's foot steps lit up and trailed across the camp towards Douglas' tent and then out of the camp.

"Oh gods." His voice was filled with anguish. "Douglas?" He nearly shouted as he ran to the other man's tent. He ripped open the flap and saw two large bodies, but Susan was conspicuously absent.

"She's gone too," He shouted to Harry, who was jogging over.

Douglas lifted his head and then bolted up as he came awake, "What's wrong?"

"Hope and Susan are gone." Severus said with a calm he did not feel. "I suspect Chase is gone as well."

A quick search of the camp revealed that the woman had indeed absconded with the girls.

Jessa was a wreck, as was Mae. Severus gathered his pack and handed Harry a few supplies to stiff in his own sack. He kissed Jessa and told her to continue east until they found a safer place to hide.

"We are going to follow them back and get the girls." He reassured her.

Lucius sighed, "Fuck, Severus, I always knew you should have been a blasted Gryffindor. You've no idea what you're heading into over there." His reluctance to help was evident.

"No one asked for you opinion." He hissed as he and Harry readied themselves to leave. Jessa grabbed him tightly, urging him to be careful and return to her unharmed. He stroked her cheek softly and turned to leave.

It was clear that the redhead was absenting himself from this mission. Severus bid Douglas to remain with the women.

Lucius dawdled as they headed out of the camp, "Wait!" He hissed. "I'm coming with you," He said reluctantly.

The disillusioned themselves, and for a time they could hear the rustling from the camp as they picked up the tents and began traveling further east.

"Do you reckon it was her intent all along?" Harry asked.

Severus nodded, "I suspect that it is a ruse they have played out many times before." He replied.

"If she's one of them, why did she take the children?" He asked, "She could have killed Danielle quietly and probably eaten her before any of us knew." He reasoned. "Wouldn't it have been better if they had just attacked us outright?" The young man asked.

"My guess is that they travel in small groups and are used to accosting lone travelers or smaller groups, who are more vulnerable. With such a large group, they were less likely to succeed in overpowering us. So, they sent chase to capture the children." He reasoned.

"Do you think they are going to eat them before we can catch up to them?" Harry's voice was troubled.

Severus shook his head, "Have you noticed the bodies along the way?" He asked as they picked up the pace. "None of them were children. Adults are lager, provide more nutrients, and are much harder to sway. It is far more likely that they are eating adults and . . . using the children for who knows what." He said softly.

Lucius sighed.

"You've got something to say." Severus said sharply, "Say it." The dark haired wizard's voice was forceful as he turned to address the blond man.

"I . . . I don't know what has happened since I first spied on them, but the Dark Lord had begun gathering forces almost immediately." Lucius pulled up his sleeve to reveal a gruesome tattoo. "Does this look familiar?" He asked.

Severus shook his head.

"What do you mean?" Lucius said sharply.

Severus glared at the man, "I've never seen a mark like that in my life.

"Your arm?" Lucius accused.

"What about it?" Severus growled.

"Let me see it!" Lucius hissed.

Severus rolled up his sleeve and showed his pale, unmarked forearms to Lucius, glaring at the man all the while.

"How?" Lucius said accusingly. "You had a mark just like this before . . . " His voice trailed off.

"Before? Are you sure?" Severus asked curiously.

Lucius nodded, "I was there when you were inducted." He said thoughtfully.

"What is so significant about the mark?" Severus asked.

"It links all of his followers to him." Lucius explained. "He doesn't realize it yet, but he will be able to call us all, once he remembers. It will be . . . painful if we don't respond." He sighed resigned. "I won't be able to hide. I can't Occlude as well as you. I won't be able to claim that I had no memory of him. He will know, and he will either punish me or kill me. It's why I needed to find you, to take sanctuary at Hogwarts." He admitted.

"So," Harry interjected. "What's he doing over there?"

Lucius shook his head, frustrated, "I'm not quite sure." He admitted, "There is no way of knowing. When I first found him, I was disillusioned . . . invisible. He could not see me, but I was able to discover that he could not remember who he was. Oh, he knew that he had been in some battle and that he was powerful. He, like you, is able to use magic. He recognized his dark mark on others and . . . compelled them to join him, by force if necessary. They are his . . . guard. He drew the others . . . the crazed ones, to him. They are his slave labor. He's building an army. With supplies dwindling, I'm sure he is encouraging them to attack passersby. Even then, he was capturing the children." He admitted.

Severus gripped the man's arm frantically, "What is he doing with the children," He asked urgently.

Lucius shook his head, "Some of them . . . go to his followers. Most of them he keeps in his palace though. They are his heirs. He tests them for magical abilities. Those without magic are sent . . . away. Those with magic are groomed by him. When I left, he had many rooms filled with them, and he had women caring for them and teaching them his ways. He would gather them together each day and . . . teach them. It was like some strange cult. Any that would act up or act out would be punished publicly, beaten. The older ones that rebelled would be killed in front of the younger ones." His voice grew graver as he spoke. "He's building an army of terrified followers, but many of the children are so young, they know nothing else. They . . . worship him." His voice was filled with disgust.

Severus let the man go and began jogging more quickly, following the magical trail toward Hope. It was clear, as the sun rose that Chase had met up with several of her companions. They found a blood trail of one of the men who had been wounded. They also found the corpse of another that they had evidently eaten before discarded.

Lucius cast a spell that determined they were pursuing a group of four adults with two children. It was clear that the children were being carried by two of the adults. Harry and Severus were clearly more suited to the fast paced travel than Lucius, who was huffing awkwardly. He had removed much of his more ornate clothing and had transfigured his cloak and boots to something more suited to such fast paced travel.

They were entering more open territory when they noticed signs of civilization ahead. Harry scaled a nearby utility pole, sans decaying ornament, and was able to determine that there was a sentry station ahead. The group they were seeking was swiftly approaching the settlement, and they would not be able to head them off before they entered the heavily guarded area.

"Fuck," Severus exclaimed as he attempted to catch his breath.

"We need to skirt around the settlement and enter through a less conspicuous area." Harry posited.

Severus nodded his assent, "They will be expecting us from the east. We need to head west and then north," he pointed to the wooded area just to their west. "We can use the woods as cover and find a way to breach their security." He suggested.

Lucius was quiet at this point. Severus and Harry looked at him expectantly. The blond wizard closed his eyes, remembering the crude layout of the town from his previous trip through.

"There is a large storage facility that way." He pointed. "It seems to be where many of the necessities are stored and sorted. Most of the food stuffs and amenities are then sent to the manor for the Dark Lord's perusal. He has to keep his staff and . . . children fed and clothed as befit their station. He returns the unused items back to the general populace. They heard and eat other humans, and they choose not to eat the canned food stuff they send to him. There was a farm further west, and I'm sure they also cart animals in to be slaughtered. It's likely far more organized now that before, but if we are to enter the manor, it would be easiest to lead one of the transports in. We could disguise ourselves as workers and Obliviate anyone who gets in our way." He suggested.

Harry nodded eagerly and Severus gazed at the man speculatively before agreeing. Their trek through the woods was impeded by the dense brush and thickly packed trees. It was late in the evening before they located the facility that Lucius had remembered. It was further to the west than they had anticipated. They waited for the activity to die down before scaling the fence and entering the deserted yard near the loading docks. Several trucks were loaded with deliveries, awaiting a driver.

"Wouldn't it be easier if we just hid in the back of one of the trucks?" Harry asked. "Then we don't have to worry about disguises." He hissed.

Severus looked thoughtful for a moment, "Perhaps," He said carefully.

Lucius huffed, clearly exasperated. "But if we do need to make an exit, wouldn't it be nice to have control of the vehicle? Do either of you know how to drive?" He asked.

They both shook their heads, "Well, that answers that, Lucius replied, "It would only draw suspicion if we drove inappropriately. So, we'll HAVE to hide in the back of one of these . . . "He sneered.

They crawled into the back of one of the less densely packed vehicles and reinforced their disillusionment charm. By morning, they had all dozed off and were awaken abruptly as the engine of the truck they occupied roared to life.


End file.
