Closer

WARNING:
I try to be very careful with my warnings. This chapter contains more drug use in it. Severus is really starting to go down hill. Don't worry though. There is always light at the end of the tunnel.
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For the next two weeks Severus was completely out of touch with reality. As soon as he had gotten to Mike's house he had bought some Heroin.

He had been introduced to Mike through Lucius. He was a wizard that knew a lot about drugs and supplied nearly everything. The wizarding world was very tight about anti-drug use so the wizards always went to wizard drug dealers.

Even when it came to drugs that were legal in Britain they always went to the wizard drug dealer because the stuff was enhanced.

Since Mike was somewhat of a friend he tried to talk Severus out of the Heroin. He had offered him some free pot. Severus had demanded the Heroin and a bed.

In the end Mike had given in and supplied his fellow wizard with some of the drug. Severus had taken it and ran off up stairs to one of the empty bedrooms.

The ex-deatheater hadn't left that room since he had gotten there nearly two weeks ago. The bedroom had a bathroom so he had that. Mike had brought him his fixes and something to eat every few hours.

Severus had been using the anti-addiction spell but it didn't seem to be working. Perhaps he had over used it during the war. He knew that a human body could only take so much abuse and he knew he was bound to be close to hitting his limit. He had abused his body so much over the last couple of years.

He lay with his face in the pillow half asleep. Where was Mike with his next hit? It felt like forever since he had shot up the last batch. He lifted his head up and looked around the room.

It looked like he was going to have to go after his fix. Damn Mike.

The wizard pushed himself up and got to his feet. He stood up and took one step across the floor. His feet lost their grip on the floor and he fell onto his behind. Pain shot through his whole body as he hit the hard floor.

His head was spinning as he lay on the floor. He felt as if there was a weight on his shoulders holding him to the floor. He couldn't move. Tears burned at his eyes. What the hell had he done to himself?

"Mike!" he yelled. "Mike! Please Mike!"

After what seemed like forever his friend appeared at the door.

"What the hell?" he asked running over. "What is wrong with you?"

"I need a hit," Severus confessed.

"Need?" Mike asked in a confused voice. "Haven't you been using the spell?"

"It stopped working," the potions master explained. "I need more."

"Noway," Mike said trying to pull him to his feet. "I'm getting you some help. I can't stand to see a friend to do this to themselves."

"If that was true you wouldn't a drug dealer," Severus said as he was pulled to his feet.

"Most people I know are smart enough to stop when the spell stops working," he explained. "You are the only one I've seen keep going in a long time."

"Where are we going?" Severus asked.

"To a clinic," his friend explained. "You need help right away."

"Not a clinic!" He shouted. "I can't go to one of those place."

His head was spinning. He was too ashamed to go to one of those places. He couldn't believe he had turned into an addict. He couldn't believe he had let this happen.

"Where do you want to go?" Mike asked. "I'll take you anywhere as long as it is somewhere you can get help."

Where? Where? Where?

He didn't know where to go. Draco wouldn't be able to help him. He was still just a kid and he didn't know a thing about drug addiction. He couldn't go back to Hogwarts. He couldn't let them see him in such a state.

"Severus?" Mike asked. "Where am I taking you?"

Could he go to the Weasley home? Whenever he had came to Grimmauld place high on something Molly and Arthur had always helped him to bed and made sure he was never bothered. They had never lectured him. He guessed they understood he was going through a lot. Perhaps they had just been under Albus' order. He didn't know but it was his only choice.

"The Weasley home," he managed to choke out.

"You got it buddy," he said and with a crack they disapparated.

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Molly Weasley stood in her kitchen sadly washing dishes. The last few days had been very sad for everyone. Hermione was mess. Every time Molly saw her it was clear she had been crying. She didn't know how Severus could hurt her the way he did.

Nearly everyday everyone spent all of their free time looking for him. No one was going to rest until Severus was found. He needed to know what he was doing to Hermione.

The Weasley mother was alone in the house doing her house work. When she was done she was going to head to Hogwarts to met with Hermione. She wanted to make sure the poor girl was doing OK.

Suddenly the sound of a loud crack broke the silence around the house. Molly looked up out of the window to see Severus and another man walking across the lawn.

She dropped the dish she was cleaning into the sink and ran outside.

"Severus!" she yelled running over to the them. She looked at the stranger. "Who are you?"

"My name is Mike," he explained. "I'm a friend of Severus'. He needs help?"

Molly looked at Severus. He liked he was on the verge of death. His eyes were sunken in and had hard dark rings around them. Severus had never been over weight but he was very skinny now. In a matter of just fourteen days he had lost ten pounds.

He had started vomiting when he didn't get his hit right away and he wasn't taking the time to eat when he wasn't high.

"What did you give him?" Molly asked in a shocked voice. "He looks dead."

"Heroin," Mike said in an ashamed voice. He felt terrible for breaking down and giving him the drugs. "I tried to get him to go to a clinic but he won't go. He wanted to come here. Can he stay?"

"Of course," she said. "Bring him in. Here I'll help."

With some effort the two of them helped Severus upstairs. It would have been easier to move him with magic but it wasn't that far. Molly didn't like using magic for everything.

They took him into Fred and George's old room and put him on the bed. Harry, Ron, and Ginny were staying at Hogwarts to keep Hermione company so there was plenty of room in the house.

"Molly," Severus whispered as he was helped under the covers. "Don't tell Hermione I'm here. I can't let her see...I can't let her see me like this."

"Don't worry dear," she said shaking her head slightly. "I won't tell her until you're through the worst part."

"Thank you," he whispered before falling asleep.

Molly and Mike headed out of the bedroom.

"My name is Mike Leften," he explained. "If he ask for me please owl. The next few days are going to be a living hell for him. Make sure to have plenty of pain reliving potions on hand."

"Is there nothing else we can do?" Molly questioned.

"No," Mike said shaking his head. "We just have to wait this out. Owl me if you have any problems."

"I will," Molly said before she watched Mike walk out of her house.

Molly stood in the hallway shaking her head. She had seen Severus messed up before but nothing like how he was then. He looked on the verge of death and she didn't know if she could keep him from falling off that ledge without help.

Despite her promise to him she knew she would need help. She headed down to owl Poppy and explain what was happening to her.