The Love Of A Wizard

CHAPTER 21
Dementors

“Check it out! They’re ready!” Chester called from the study where he had been holed up for days. The group filed in, still somewhat subdued from the past few days events. Chester held up a tiny, clear plastic device.
“The newest in communications. This piece goes into your ear. It’s virtually invisible and light weight. Clear as a bell and can work up to 100 miles away. Just one tap to your ear and it’s a microphone too. No more headsets.” Chester was in his element. He loved gadgets with a passion rivaled only to Arthur Weasley.

It had been almost a week since Sirius’s death. Claudia felt as if she was walking underwater and just went through the movements of being alive. She had received letters from Severus first asking to see her then demanding. She balled up each one.
On the fifth night, Claudia was in the shower when she heard someone banging on the bathroom door.
“Claudia, get out!.” It was Severus. I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later, Claudia thought. She wrapped a towel around herself and opened the door.
He was standing there facing the door with a look of the utmost contempt on his face. His voice was low and angry.
“Why are you avoiding me?” His nostrils flared as he spoke. Claudia slipped past him and put on her robe, thinking the entire time.
“Severus, I am mourning the death of a friend. A friend whom you hated. Forgive me if I can’t bare to hear how happy you are about it just yet.” Her anger blazed through her eyes and she turned to meet his.
“My concern is for your welfare.” He said simply.
“My welfare? Have you NO heart Severus? That boy who you hate so much, Harry, has lost now his parents and the next best thing to it. Not to mention he was MY FRIEND. If it weren’t for him, you and I would never have met.” Claudia felt days worth of anger and resentment bubbling just below the surface. Severus was cool and collected as he spoke.
“He was in love with you.” Claudia couldn’t believe her ears. How dare he?
“Yes. I know he was! But because of you and my feelings for you, I told him no.” Claudia felt her eyes begin to sting. Her lip was trembling and she fought hard to keep from giving into her anguish once again.
“So you choose your pain and heartbreak over a man whom you do not love, over a man that you do?” His eyes flashed with anger as he spat these words to her.
“I choose nothing! Not that you know anything about pain and heartbreak. Your heart is probably shriveled and dried up! This,” She pointed to her amulet. “is probably nothing more than a magic trick!” Claudia saw that her words hit right on target. Good. She thought. I hope that hurt.
“What do you know of magic?” They stood in silence as they stared each other down. His voice was calculated and cool when he spoke again. “Fine. Roll around in your pity and grief. Clearly, my concern for you is wasted.” He swept from the room and slammed the door behind him.
With trembling hands, Claudia lifted her amulet and saw it flash red and stay that way.

******************************************************

Once again, the gang was doing surveillance on Hernandez and company. They had taken positions, split into three teams around the perimeter of the house. Team one was Bones and Rod. Team two was Zulu and Antonio. Team three was Claudia and Nick. Chester was Alpha command in the truck manning the communications.
Claudia and Nick were stationed on the left of the house with a clear view of the front driveway and door. They sat and watched through binoculars as the dark night wore on. The crickets were loud and the fog was thick. Actually, the fog was very thick. 1900 hours. Check time. In her earpiece, Claudia heard the incoming reports.
“This is Alpha, team one report, Over.” Chester’s voice rang in her ears.
“Alpha, this is Team one. All clear here. Over.” Rod said.
“This is Alpha, Team two report. Over.”
“Alpha, this is team two all clear. Over.” Antonio’s voice was crisp and clear. Must be close, Claudia thought.
“This is Alpha, Team Three report. Over.” Claudia looked at Nick and he signaled he would answer.
“Alpha, this is Team three. All clear. Over.” In fact, nothing was going on. They had seen Hernandez inside a hour or so ago reading a book and then all the lights went out. He had gone to sleep unawares he had seven people outside wishing they could make it permanent.
The wind changed at that moment and it got colder. Much colder as a matter of fact. The night seemed to go blacker and Claudia felt an unusual tingle in her stomach. What made her blood run cold, was the voice inside her ear piece.
Crackle. “Oh God…Oh God…No…..” Crackle. Claudia and Nick exchanged looks of terror and turned to go. All of a sudden, Claudia was winded by the worst feeling in her entire life. She was bent double trying not to fall. She looked over and Saw Nick, already on the ground vomiting. She had never felt this bad before in her life, Every bad feeling she had had lately was churning in her head and she heard voices too. She started to sweat and shake.
“No…no…no….not this….please God no….” Her heart was racing and she tried to block out the voices in her head. She fell to the ground and tasted dirt in her mouth. She heard her ear piece crackle again and heard Chester’s urgent voice in her ear.
“This is Alpha. What the hell is going on! Team one report. Over” Static. Then she heard Bones’s voice.
“Team One on our way to Alpha. Over.” She was still fighting the urge to vomit when she heard Chester call out a second time.
“This is Alpha, team two Report!” No answer. “This is Alpha, team three report!” Claudia knew Nick couldn’t. He looked unconscious. She tried to move, but her hands were like lead. She just felt so bad. So sad…so helpless. Her mind clicked into overdrive and she knew. Oh God, Dementors! I have to cover my mouth. I have to tell the others. She pulled her hand over her mouth and the other taped her ear piece.
“Cover…your…mouth…Dementors…” She wasn’t even sure the words actually came out. She prayed that they heard her. Everything was going dark and she felt herself drifting away. All of a sudden, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her and her head rested on a man’s shoulder. She closed her eyes and behind her eyelids, she saw flashes of white light. She opened her eyes and looked into the face of Severus Snape.
Claudia heard Nick coughing and cussing in Russian and thought, oh good, he’s ok. She felt Severus carrying her and heard the voices of her friends. She heard and felt Severus’s voice ask if everyone was alright. Someone, somewhere answered yes and Claudia felt herself losing the battle to stay awake. She felt a pair of lips graze her face and she felt nothing more except a strange sensation that the as being pulled through a place much too small for her.
****************************************************
A/N: Please review...I see that people are reading, but I don\'t know what you think! Indulge me please.....*lol*