Hidden Friends

When Severus found her, she was sitting beside the unconscious form of her younger sister in one of the hospital beds. She was slowly stroking her hair in a soothing manner, humming a strange lilting song that sounded like an old Irish tune. He quickly and quitely slipped into the shadows, watching her as she continued the haunting song.



A sudden thought struck him. He had heard her voice singing like that before. He had been to a meeting with the Dark Lord, and he was worried that his loyalty would be tested once more. Of course, it was. He had barely made it back alive after all the beatings and Crutacious Curses he had endured. He vaguely remembered waking up in the hospital wing after a bad nightmare, his mind fuzzy from sleep and pain. A shadow had passed over him, and a sudden cool touch of someones hand on his forehead eased his fevered skin. He had jumped at the contact, feebly trying to wake up so as to see the intruder, but a gentle hand had ceased his struggling.



"Shh," the soft voice soothed. A woman, his mind helpfully supplied. Brushing back his hair, her fingers glided through it, and he immediatly felt safe and content. "You need to rest, my friend," she said kindly. As he was drifting off again, he heard the soft lilting voice wrap around his form, easing him into, when he remembered in the morning, a very peaceful sleep without the plague of nightmares. He had been amazed, and he wanted to find her, but he never did, at least until now. Actually, now that he thought about it, often he remembered someone sneaking into the hospital wing any time he was injured in any way, even when he was still a young boy at Hogwarts. Had this been her every time? If so, then why?



"I was supposed to protect you," she whispered brokenly. Her shaky voice brought Snape out of his thoughts, and he realised he had looked away from her. Resting his gaze back on her once more, he saw her form trembling to hold back the torrent of emotions she was feeling. "Gods, I almost lost you. I was supposed to protect you and I failed. Forgive me," she pleaded to the sleeping young woman. Closing her eyes, she allowed few tears to escape, and gripped the rail of the bed until her knuckles turned white. She barely controlled a choked cry, as she pushed herself away from the bed. She looked around frantically as if looking for an escape. 'A trapped animal with nowhere to go,' he thought.



She suddenly clutched her wrist, and gave a gasp of surprise, but she shook her head and hurried out of the room. Snape followed as quietly as he could, keeping just out of sight as she rushed along the halls towards the entrance. Once there, she seemed to be getting faster, breaking into a sprint as soon as she pushed her way past people and out the door, ignoring the protests behind her. He ran to keep up, seeing that all she seemed to do was run, paying no attention to her quickening breaths, and burning legs. She just kept going.



Finally, when he thought she was going to stop, she apparated in mid stride. He skid to a stop, and pulled out his wand, casting a quick spell to trace her. He was surprised it worked, for he knew by experience she knew to cover her tracks. This made him more aggitated than he thought he already was. Something was terribly wrong.



He apparated and soon found himself at Grimmauld Place. He didn't epect her to come here.



'How would you know anyway?' sneered a voice in his mind. 'It's not as if you cared to pay attention to her before.'



He resolutely told his brain to fuck off, as he walked up and into the house. He ventured briskly down the hall, and into the kitchen. There she was, looking trapped again, as the members of the household tried to talk to her, comfort her in her worries about her injured sister. They didn't seem to notice the way she was shifting her eyes, looking for another way to go, her body language radiating tension. Gabriel Crenning was ready to snap. Gabriel knew they were worried for her, she knew! But it didn't make this overwwhelming urge to break down go away. She just wanted to go to her room and try an sleep it off, maybe cry there even, in the privacy of her bed, underneath the covers, with the door locked so no one could come in, and the lights shut off. 'I need to get out of here!'



"Are you sure you're all right dear?" Molly question for the fifth time in ten minutes. Gabriel clamped her mouth shut, lest she say something awful to the woman. Taking a breath, she gave a wane smile, her face pale, her hands shaking.



"I'm fine Molly, thank you. I think I just need to go and lie down for a while."



"Oh dear, have a cup of tea first, calm your nerves. You've had quite a shock today." Gabriel loved the woman dearly, she was kind and gentle, worried for her adopted family of the Order no matter what, but she wasn't going to last. She swallowed a lump in her throat, and prepared to answer, when she was suddely enveloped in black, as strong arms encircled her, his head buried in the crook of her neck. Before she could register why Severus had done this, she felt the familar feeling of apparation. The next thing she knew she was in her room.



She moved to pull back from the strange embrace, but he would not release her. She was again about to open her mouth to say something, when he moved slightly so that his lips brushed her ear gently. "Let go," he said softly.



Those simple words undid her, and the torrent of emotion spilled forth. She was finally crying. Great sobs shook her frame, and her knees weakened. Without thought he picked her up and carried her to the bed. He climbed on it, and shifted so that he was sitting against the headbord, with her curled in his lap, her face tucked at his neck and shoulder, her arms around his neck. He cradled her close to his chest, and rocked slightly, one hand rubbing small, soothing circles on her back, the other threading through her hair, as he whispered comforting words that susprised them both.



After a good while, she had quieted, and he heard only the occasional sniffle as her breathing calmed. They had not moved, and she was becoming aware that she was actually in Severus Snapes arms.



On his lap.



In her bed.



And he had comforted her. That last one was very strange indeed, she thought. She was suddnely so very tired, his even breathing lulling her to sleep. When she woke in the middle of the night, she found herself alone, and a strange sense of abandonment filled her, making her heart ache. Of all the times she had been by his side, he had comforted her once, and then had left when she was most vunerable. It was to be expected from such a bitter man...but even that wouldn't take away this new pain. It only added to all the others she felt. The loss of her parents, the strange men set out to cause them and anyone she loved harm, the new responsibility she had taken on as a mother for her sister, as her Gamma got lost in her own grief at the loss of her child, her sister now injured and in St.Mungo's, and protecting someone who barely acknwledged her existense, and when he had he had left as soon as he got the chance.



Gods, she felt so alone....



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She hadn't slept after her thoughts. They just kept repeating in her mind like a vicious circle, and the one time she did fall alseep out of sheer exhaustion, she awoke abruptly from a nightmare of a mission gone wrong a year ago. Severus had been in trouble, and due to Gabriel's unique cabability to change into different forms, unlike an Animagus' who could only have one, she had had to go and rescue him. She had done that, but had been captured, brought before the Dark Lord, and had been tortured for weeks about information about the Order. She never breathed a word, trying her hardest to show no weakness, but always in the end, her screams had echoed horribly through the castle.



When she had finally been rescued, she was barely alive. She had recovered in Hogwarts Infirmary, as due to secrets of the mission and the Order, they could not afford to have her in St. Mungo's. They had quickly realised that it had been a good decision, as even with dreamless sleep potions, they couldn't contain her nightmares and thus her screams. Sometimes she would utter words like, "I know nothing!" or, "I'll tell you nothing! You will never break me!" After the last one, the horror, pain-filled screams would start.



She was never the same after that. She had refused to speak with anyone. Many concerned friends visited, sent presents, even tried to encourage her to perhaps get out for some air with them when she had recovered. The one person who hadn't visited, had been Severus. She had nearly died trying to save his life, and he had not visited once. It wasn't the point of being thanked, or even sent a present. All she wanted was his company for a little while, the one person without false cheer visiting her and saying "what a wonderful day it is," and "look how many presents you've got, dear." Someone who wouldn't smile as if everything would be ok, as if she'd be back to her normal self in no time. Albus had often come and visited, bringing news of many things, the only other seeming to know that false cheer and happy things were not what she needed. He seemed to be the only one who knew of the strange thing with Severus, whatever it was between them. Minerva had tried, she was not overly cheerful, but she had been awkward. In the end, she had stayed only for a little while. Ablus visited at night, and he would say simply that "I'm sure Severus is just busy. He'll visit soon I'm sure."



One day, he finally stopped pretending that Severus would come, and simply said, "I'm sorry, my dear child. I would tell you myself that Severus told me to say hello, and hopes that you are well, but we both know it's a lie." He had sighed.



The first time she said anything in several weeks had been to Ablus. "How is he?" she had asked.



He didn't have to ask to know who she was reffering to. "He's fine as can be for Severus."



She nodded absently. "Good," she replied softly. With that, she had turned over and faced away from him. It took another few weeks for her to speak again, and everyone had asumed she was well enough to start getting back on track to being herself again. Only Albus saw her mask, and Severus knew the mask well, for he often wore it, but he didn't want to have anything to do with her, and so had remained silent, watching everyone fuss over her, welcomed her back into their lives.



After last night of being occupied with her thoughts, she was tired, and sitting at the breakast table was not helping her mood. She didn't think she had a mood really, but if she had it would be emptyness. Or depression, if you look at it one way. Gabriel felt as if a whole had been torn in her soul, and a dark void had taken its place. The amicable chatter going about the table, just seemed to be noise to her, adding to the clattering of plates and cups as people ate their food heartily.



"Not hungry, dear?" Molly asked. Some of the talk stopped as they gazed curioiusly at Gabriel.



To the others at the table, Gabriel looked as if to be coming out of a daze as she turned to Molly, looking confused, like she didn't understand the words. Finally, after a minute of silence, she answered.



"No."



"Are you alright, child?" Kingsley asked from down the other end, putting down his knife and fork. He peered closer, and could see how worn she was, with dark circles under her eyes. Her eyes...they looked so dull, so...lifeless.



"No."



All talk ceased at her clear word.



"No," she repeated. "I'm not alright. I haven't been alright in a very long time." At a sudden noise, her head came up from a detailed inspection of her plate, as she spotted several owls heading to the house. She stood and wandered over to the window, opening it to let them in, in a flurry of feathers. One landed next to Hermione, Ginny, and Tonks. The last one, a large tawny owl, stood at Gabriel's place at the table, waiting patiently for her to walk over and open it. It felt slightly surreal, as she lifted the envelope, broke the familiar Ministry Seal, and took out the parchment. When she read the first line, she immidiatly heard the gasps of the other woman in the room. She knew they had read theirs already.



"What is it?" Moody growled. "Well, come on, spit it out!"



The other two were too busy reading the rest of the shocking news to answer. Gabriel's face went pale, before quickly flushing red in anger. She growled low, and slapped the paper down on the table. Everyone stood up, including Snape, and gathered to look at the letter. Molly gave a cry, some of the men shouted obscenities, and Albus' "Oh dear!" was heard just before the slam of the kitchen door caused them to look up. Gabriel ahd left and gone up to the library, were she locked the door.



They looked back at the letter with grave faces, reading the head of it once more.



"NEW MINISTRY MARRIAGE LAW IN EFFECT"







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Hmm, bet ya didn't expect that. A new twist. My chapters will get longer, and less angsty as it goes along. Its just lately that's been my mood, and i thought i'd go with t, and then make it get brighter as it goes.



Thanks for the reviews. Its given me something to keep going. It's hard to do it when you think no one is even getting a chance to read the story. hehe



Wolfsoul xxx