The Shattering of Souls

so, there\'s a hooker, a lawyer, and the pope, and the three of them......damn, wrong forum. this is where the disclaimer goes. you know, the one that says i\'m not the creator of any of the really cool characters contained within this story. i\'m the creator of the moderately okay ones.... the cool ones, as we know, belong to j.k. rowling.she is the wonderful person who brought people like harry and snape to life, so it is her world i\'m playing in. not mine. ~pouts~ oh well.... i suppose i\'ll live when i get..... what do you mean, i\'m not getting paid for this? oh, yeah.... bloody copyright infringement and all that. ok..... so i\'ll live.....somehow.

i will issue my standard warnings..... raunch could ensue, possible darkness. i tell you this now, here, because i will not be held accountable for any problems you encounter after reading this fic. just cos my mind is more twisted doesn\'t mean you can take it out on me. after all, i did warn you. that\'s why it\'s called a warning and all.

reviews are always welcome, as are suggestions and friendly criticism. do not flame me, as i will use said flamage to roast your ass with. then i will set free the dragon. he\'s got this thing for extra crispy recipe....

Chapter Seven: Otherworld
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Izzy stared at the back of the tall man clad in black as he stood before her, deep in discussion with Albus. The two of them were going over last minute details before she, Harry, and Snape took Bri with them to someplace Dumbledore had determined to be safe from the threat of Malfoy and his Death Eaters. Izzy hadn\'t slept the previous night, her mind running over a long list of things she felt the former spy was responsible for. She was convinced that Snape was the reason Bri was in the mental state she was.

Much as she wanted to, she still hadn\'t found a way to connect the man to the torture her best friend had so obviously gone through. But she wasn\'t about to give up on that line of thought. If she could find evidence, even the tiniest shred that would prove that Snape was behind Bri\'s abuse, she\'d kill him. Then she\'d tell Dumbledore why.

She\'d gone over everything in her mind all night long, denying herself restful sleep until she\'d put it all together. Try as she might, though, she\'d not been able to manage even a small bit of proof. Not daunting, but it meant she would have a large amount of work ahead of her to make the pieces fit together. So perhaps having Snape go with them into hiding wasn\'t such a bad idea. She would be able to keep her eye on him, to monitor his every action and word. As well as how Bri progressed. How she interacted with him. Yes, the Muggle saying was true. Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer.

The two older Wizards broke apart, both giving their full attention to Harry and Izzy. Potter was standing behind her, lounging against a wall. His gaze was pinned on Snape, never once leaving the man. The Boy Who Lived and Defeated Voldemort was obsessed with the idea that his former Potions Master was the guilty party in Bri\'s abduction. The madness was plain to see, lurking in his green eyes as they remained fixed on the snarky Head of Slytherin. She wondered how long the dark-headed young man had been falling into the deep pit of lunacy.

\'Have you two gathered all the belongings you will need? Once you reach your destination, you will not be allowed to come back until the renegade Death Eaters are dealt with,\' Albus asked them. Izzy nodded, motioning to the two trunks sitting by the door. The gray head nodded, then smiled as there was a knock on the door. \'There will be others joining you. I expect that\'s them now. Come in.\'

The door swung open and they stared at the two men in the door. There was a distinctive sound, like a curse that was bitten off before being uttered, from somewhere near Dumbledore\'s desk. Izzy was sure it was Snape. It was a typical reaction from him whenever he saw Remus Lupin. The newest Potions Master was wearing Wizard\'s robes that were less shabby than normal. They were a shade of blue that matched the color of the sky on a cloudless day to perfection. His hair was still shaggy, somewhat longer than usual, but no grayer than he had been when he\'d been the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

The other man next to him was tall, wearing an earring and long red hair. No one in the room needed to be told that they were looking at a Weasley. Bill still sported the fang earring, his hair pulled back into a pony tail at the nape of his neck. He looked about the room, giving Harry a faint smile before giving his attention to Snape. The smile slipped into a frown, then he glanced to the Headmaster.

\'Why is Lupin coming with?\' Severus\' black voice cut through the room, killing the strained silence. All eyes turned to him, his piercing gaze locked onto Lupin as if it was all he needed to see the other man dead.

\'You are the only one who can properly brew the Wolfsbane Potion for him. And as we have no way of knowing how long it will be before you can return to Hogwarts, Remus will have to come with you,\' Albus explained patiently, as if he were speaking with a four year old. Severus frowned at him.

\'And how am I to brew his blasted potion when my lab is here?\' he flung out an arm, as if to indicate the dungeons several stories below.

\' It\'s already been taken care of. I\'ve personally sent it off to your destination. Now, as I trust you are all ready, let\'s go to the Hospital Wing,\' Albus gave each of them a look, then stepped toward the door. Bill and Remus separated, allowing him to pass between them. They threw curious looks into the room, then turned and followed behind Dumbledore. Izzy motioned for Harry to go, then looked to Snape.

The man didn\'t appear to be in any hurry to move. She didn\'t want her back to him, but the others were getting away from them. Even though they were inside Hogwarts, she still took her job as Potter\'s guard seriously. She finally had no choice but to step out the door and hurry after the group. She heard the foot steps behind her, so she slipped her hand into her robes to curl about the end of her wand. She would be ready to draw, should the need arise.

Nothing happened as they traversed the halls to the Hospital Wing. Snape stayed behind her, his pace never increasing or decreasing. She could hear the soft rustling sound of his robes as they billowed behind him. She didn\'t relax until they were gathered around the cot that Bri lay sleeping in. A pile of clothing, folded neatly, lay on the chair next to her bed. Madam Pomfrey was there, casting a dubious look at Dumbledore. \' I don\'t like this, Albus. She\'s not well enough to be moved yet. Some of those wounds are very nasty. My potions will heal them, make no mistake. But it will take some time. She should remain here, where I can keep an eye on her.\'

\'Were that an option, I wouldn\'t hesitate to leave her here. As it isn\'t, she must be moved. Malfoy is sure to think of the school first, given the condition Severus found her in. He would know that the Order would be behind her rescue. And this would be the most likely place she would be brought. We cannot possibly manage to keep him or one of his minions out, should they come in disguise. We need to take Bri someplace where we know she will be safe,\' Albus explained.

Poppy stared at him a moment, then sighed and nodded. It was obvious, despite her acquiesence, that she maintained the thought that the injured woman should remain under her care. \'Very well. But I cannot pretend to like it. The girl needs more care than I\'ve given her here.\'

\'And she will get it, Poppy. Severus and the others will see to it. I promise you,\' Albus told her, his tone placating the agitated Medi Witch. Poppy stepped back from the bed, allowing them to step closer. Dumbledore turned to Snape and gestured to the figure under the covers. \' I leave it up to you to ensure she is woken and dressed. You have five minutes, Severus.\'

Izzy and Harry went reluctantly when the Headmaster shooed them away from the cot. The look on Severus\' face was one of extreme distaste, but he pulled the curtain to give the girl some privacy. Pulling his wand, he muttered the spell that would waken her. He watched the eyelids flicker up, then the way those blue eyes looked around her. When they settled on him, she gave a tenative smile. \'We will be leaving. I need you to get up and put on these clothes,\' he told her, his voice lacking any kind of emotion.

She nodded and sat up, her thin limbs shaking with the effort. It took her several moments to manage the small task. He was so certain she would fall back onto the mattress that he sat next to her, allowing her to lean on his arm while he placed the pile of clothing in her lap. She looked up at him, then blushed and lowered her gaze, lifting the first item in the pile. When she made no immediate move to remove the nightdress she wore, he barely avoided heaving a sigh before speaking. \'What is the matter?\'

\' I\'m sorry. I can\'t.... not by myself. Would you help me, please?\' she whispered, shame coloring her words. It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her to manage it her sodding self. But he took in the way her hands shook, even just clasped around the robes she held, and realized that she would indeed require his assistance. He glanced over his shoulder, to assure her modesty was his mental excuse, then pulled the covers down to her feet and helped her out of the plain, white cotton nightgown.

His gaze was blank as he pulled the clothes she wore off, revealing her emaciated frame. He didn\'t avert his gaze, but neither did he stare straight at her. He kept his face blank. He separated the pile out, finding a rather plain, servicable white bra in between the layers of clothes. As it had been some time since he\'d seen one of the bloody things, much less put one on or taken one off a woman, he gave up and flicked his wand over her. In an instant, she was fully clothed and ready to go.

Severus stood, ignoring the brief view he\'d been given of her bared breasts. He pushed the curtains back, holding a hand out to her. She took it, her hand small in his, paler than his, and pulled herself to her feet slowly. She wobbled, but kept her stance. The robes he\'d magicked onto her were a pale lavender that pulled the highlights from her flowing hair. She smiled at him, then looked at the others a little warily. Each one of them smiled at her, and she recalled that he had told her they were friends.

\'Are you ready to go, Bri?\' Albus asked her softly. She blinked at him, then nodded her head. He gave her a kindly smile, then looked around at the group. \'Severus has an Estate in Wales. We\'ll be Apparating there.\'

\'Surely you don\'t think that Malfoy won\'t think of that possibility?\' Izzy asked, her gaze once more raking over Snape\'s tall figure.

\'No. You will be going on to the safe house from there. But there are things that Severus must take with that are at his estate. Now, give them the location, Severus,\' Albus instructed. Severus sighed, then nodded and complied. Everyone repeated it aloud so that Dumbledore was certain they all had the right destination. Then, one by one, they Apparated out of the Hospital Wing, leaving a rather upset Poppy behind.

~*~*~*~*~

The Snape family estate was something of a shock to those who had not been there before. It was rather comfortable, looking as if it had been lived in, despite the amount of time Severus spent at Hogwarts. The furniture was old, made of heavy wood that gleamed with polish and age. They were in a study of some sort, with a huge mahogany desk near the far wall. There was a large portrait hung above the empty hearth, showing a stern faced man who glared at them in much the same way Severus himself did. Books were carefully stood on the shelves, all in such fine condition that one knew in an instant the owner was enamored of them.

Severus had kept a hand on Bri while they Apparated, and he settled her onto the soft cushions of the couch. She looked positively shaken at having just travelled from one place to another in an instant. He turned a warning glare on the rest of the group, then stalked from the room in a flurry of robes. Izzy moved over to where Bri sat, looking at her somewhat expectantly. \'Bri, what happened to you?\' she asked.

\' I don\'t know what you mean,\' the dark head shook, her blue eyes showing confusion.

\'What did Malfoy do?\' she tried again. The look she got made her want to weep. Unless Bri was a bloody fine actress, she truly had no idea what Izzy was talking about.

\'I don\'t understand. What did who do?\' she replied, confirming the suspicion. There was too much pain in the soft voice for it to be anything but the truth. Bri honestly didn\'t know. \' I don\'t even know who this Malfoy person is.\'

\'He....\' she began, only to have Dumbledore interrupt her.

\'You will leave this matter lie for the moment, Izzy. She is not ready to discuss her recent past. When she is ready, you will be allowed to question her at will,\' he told her, his tone once more firm. \'She needs more time to recover.\'

\'And when will she be ready to answer my questions?\' Izzy demanded, turning to look at the Headmaster.

\'Severus will tell you. I trust him in this manner. He is in charge of her care until she is well enough to do so for herself,\' he returned. She scowled, but said nothing more. This was one more item to add to her list of things that proved that Snape was behind the entire episode.

\'Well, I don\'t trust him!\' Harry snapped, his eyes flashing green fire as they latched onto Dumbledore. The old Wizard shook his head sadly, holding back the pity he felt. He\'d watched Harry bear the burden of Voldemort for seven years. The Dark Lord\'s life and death had been on the boy\'s shoulders, and it had taken it\'s toll. The slight hint of madness that had begun to plague Harry Potter was made known every now and again. It made Albus terribly unhappy to know that he had been the one who had brought this about.

\'You haven\'t got much choice in the matter, Harry,\' Bill Weasley put in. \'Dumbledore knows what he\'s about. If he trusts Snape in this matter, we all need to abide by his wishes. Severus does have more first hand knowledge of what Malfoy is capable of than any of us present.\'

\'And why do you suppose that is, Weasley?\' Izzy snapped at the red head, irritated with him for defending Snape. Bill looked at her, but didn\'t say anything. By the look in his eye, she knew he was recalling the last time he\'d seen her. And it had not been a happy occasion.

\'Most likely because he was a Death Eater, Izzy. Which is precisely why I have no problems with him going along. He will be better able to defend her, and the rest of us, should Malfoy manage to find us,\' Bill replied softly, his gaze never leaving her face. She managed to keep the expression she wore blank, so the room wouldn\'t see the hatred she was sure would burn in her eyes if she didn\'t. It took all her will power not to call them a lot of fools for trusting the sneaky bastard.

Before another word could be spoken, Severus strode back into the room. He carried with him a small satchel that he handed to Dumbledore. The old man looked inside for a few moments, sorting through the contents the case held before nodding his head and handing it back. With a wave of his wand, Snape shrunk the satchel and deposited it into a pocket in his robes. Then he moved to where Bri sat, offering her a hand silently.

She stared at the hand only a moment before she placed hers in it. He allowed her to pull herself up with the extremity she grasped. He did not use his own strength to lift her from her seat. She would need to move about on her own, at any rate. Even though he was going with, he was no man or woman\'s nursemaid. The girl would do well to know that right from the off. She managed to gain her feet with a minimal of effort, but the strain was evident on her face. Sweat had broken out on her forehead, and he could feel the fine tremors that ran the length of her body.

Recovery would be a long time coming.

\'Are we all ready then?\' Albus allowed his blue gaze to go from one member of the party to the next. When no one disagreed, he nodded and pulled a small, carved wooden replica of a cricket bat from his robes. He held it out so that all of them could put their hand on it. He watched with some amusement as Severus placed Bri\'s hand on it with a faint, disgruntled sigh. The girl\'s face clearly showed her confusion at the events of the morning. He wished he could remain to watch her struggle to regain herself. It would be one hell of a fight when she got her memories back and found out who had been responsible for her tender care.

A hand or finger from each one of the people present was placed upon the miniature bat. They all stared at the Headmaster expectantly. Severus\' face bore an expression of long time suffering. The only other one there who might understand why was Lupin. They both had some knowledge of the twisted sense of humor Albus sported. It was always obvious in the words he chose to activate his personal portkeys. He wondered if the one for this cricket bat would be any less impressive.

He was not to be disappointed.

With a faint, mischievous smile, Dumbledore glanced about the group one last time before opening his mouth and uttering the words that were sure to make Snape\'s life one of pure hell. \'Fudge bunnies!\'

The portkey opened, sucking the lot of them into it. When they found themselves on solid ground once more, the room around them was bright and cheery. A veritable garden of fresh flowers decorated nearly every flat surface, vases of them filling the room with the scents of a bountiful greenhouse. A hearth sat on one wall, big enough for even Hagrid to stand in. There were paintings hung on the walls. None of them appeared to be moving, but each one held a forest scene.

The upholstery on the couch and chairs was in a soft, pastel green that was just a shade too dark to be mint. Tables of a dark wood sat near each of the pieces of the group. Books lined one wall, between huge windows that opened out into what appeared to be the garden the fresh cut flowers had come from. The walls were done in a forest green that should have been too dark for the room, but somehow wasn\'t.

The ceiling over their heads was painted with more forest scenes, animals and other creatures frolicking about amongst the trees. The floor beneath them was covered with a thick, luxurious rug the looked old and hand woven. All manner of knick-knacks and things were strewn about the place as if someone lived here regularly. It was, in all, a rather comfortable room. Severus took his hand off the small bat, then escorted Bri to a chair. She sank into it greatfully.

\'You\'re sure we\'ll be safe here, Professor?\' Harry asked, sounding much more like himself than he had the last time he\'d spoken. Albus turned to the boy and smiled at him.

\'As sure as I am that Voldemort is truly dead this time. You will not be bothered by Malfoy here. I guarantee you of that,\' the Headmaster replied, glad to see that Harry was himself for the time being. Perhaps this place would have some sort of calming effect on the boy\'s battered logic. He hoped that all of the people standing in the room with him would find some sort of peace, some sort of solace in the safe house. \' I trust you will manage without me, Severus?\'

\'Of course, Headmaster. I will manage just fine, thank you,\' the dark man barely sneered the words out. Albus gave a smile that he knew would draw out the other man\'s scowl. It only took a second for that most used expression to settle in the Snape\'s face. The twinkle in Dumbledore\'s eyes grew at the typical reaction. If there was ever anything he could count on, it was that bloody scowl.

\'There are no House Elves here, so I hope one of you knows how to cook in the Muggle fashion. And clean, as well. There are no restrictions upon you here, as well. We are outside the Ministry\'s limits, so you can do pretty much as you will. I will only say this once, though,\' he stopped to give each of them a piercing glare that was meant as a warning. \' I do not wish to find out that you have been cursing and hexing one another. And believe me, I will find out. You are here for two reasons. To stay safe from Malfoy\'s wrath, and to help Bri find herself back.\'

\'Yes, Professor,\' Lupin nodded, his gaze slipping sideways to glance at Izzy and Harry. Then he let it settle on Snape. It was going to be a very long stay here. Where ever here was. The clearing of a throat brought his gaze swinging to the couch. The woman they called Bri was looking from one to the other with confusion plain to see in her blue eyes.

\'Um.... excuse me, sir. But what do you mean by that? Help me find myself back? I don\'t think....\' she asked, her forehead crinkling as she stared at him.

\'All in good time, my dear. Severus, Izzy, and Harry will be better able to do that task. For the moment, I only want you to concern yourself with getting well,\' Albus explained to the woman gently. She gave a faint nod, then lapsed into silence once more.

\'Professor, how will we contact you, should the need arise?\' Izzy put the query to him, not ready to let the idea that Snape was the guilty party drop. If she found something out, she wanted to be able to let Dumbledore know.

\'You will not contact me. There will be no way. Once I leave here, the ability to make contact with the outside world will go with me. I\'m sorry, Izzy. But that is the way things have to be,\' the gray-headed wizard told her. It was evident by his voice that he was not happy with the idea. \'We cannot risk Malfoy or any of his spies intercepting the message. Until I deem the danger has passed, you will all be cut off from friends and family. I\'m sorry, but this is how it must be done.\'

\'Very well, sir. I understand,\' she nodded. It meant she would have to make any decisions about Snape herself. She would have to protect Bri from him. The idea held a certain amount of appeal to her, and it was all she could do to not let the smile spred across her face.

\'Professor, would you tell my parents that I miss them already and I love them very much?\' Bill looked to the older Wizard, some look on his face that was so fleeting it couldn\'t be named. Albus smiled and nodded, stepping over to clap the eldest Weasley on the back.

\'Of course. Any message for your brothers and sister?\' Dumbledore\'s eyes were once more twinkling with the imp of mischief. Bill pondered the question for several moments, then shook his head.

\' I\'d tell you to tell Fred and George to behave themselves, but I know it wouldn\'t work. So I ask that you tell all of my siblings to be careful. And that I love them, as well. Let them know I will see them when I come home,\' Bill\'s voice was full of sadness. Dumbledore nodded, then stepped away from the group.

\'Professor?\' Harry broke in. The kindly blue gaze turned his way. \'Would you tell Ron and Hermione that I will miss them. And tell them to look out for each other for me. So that they\'re safe. They will have to do my job until I can go home.\'

Severus stood to the side, watching the emotional display with a sneer on his face. He barely controlled the urge to snort at the way Potter and Weasley were going on. As if they were the one\'s who would be undergoing the hardship. They obviously had no clue who was to be undergoing the hardship. Much as he didn\'t like Bri Wallace, he was more than willing to admit the woman was going to be under a great strain while she recovered. She had the memories of what had happened to her while imprisoned by Malfoy. But she had no memories of anything else.

The woman had lost her identity. All of it. Let the others bitch about not being able to see their family and friends.The woman on the couch didn\'t know if she even had family and friends. While they went one about loving someone and taking care of one another, the woman they were here to aide was most likely wondering why she couldn\'t recall if there was someone to love. And it was all Malfoy\'s fault.

Severus had to admit that he\'d never seen anyone survive for so long under the conditions in which he\'d found Bri Wallace. The woman was either very strong, or they hadn\'t been as hard on her as he thought they might. And he found the second option highly doubtful. Given the opportunity, Lucius would hold nothing back. Particularly if the victim was a woman. He had always been taking Muggle women as captives when they\'d been at Voldemort\'s side together. The women had broken in only a few moments after Lucius had started his version of foreplay with them.

It was still a surprise to the Potions Master that the young woman had survived two months with Malfoy and his perverted ideas. As well as Bellatrix Lestrange\'s completely grotesque thoughts on what was fun and what was not. That Bri had come out of the prison cell he\'d found her in with only a loss of memory was astounding. She should have died from what he was sure the two of them had done to her. Or gone stark raving mad. He\'d never seen anyone come out of abuse like that with their mind intact, even if they couldn\'t remember anything. She must be a very strong individual to manage that trick.

He let his gaze move about the room, staring for several moments at each of the other four people with him. He could see Potter glaring at him out of the corner of those green eyes. Lunacy was starting to cloud all the boy said and did, and Severus had to wonder how long it would be before someone would be going up against the Boy Who Lived. He\'d seen firsthand what madness could bring. It would not be pretty to watch Potter fall headlong into the inky black well of insanity.

Izzy seemed to be taking turns arguing with whomever was speaking. Intense anger was blended in with everything she said, leading him to believe that the woman might be as unbalanced as Potter was proving to be. She cast glances at each of them, mistrust shining in her eyes. She more than likely thought that no one saw it, but he was no ordinary person. He\'d lived in the shadows for more years than he cared to remember. One learned many survival tricks when one was forced to hide in the dark corners. She might fool the others, but she couldn\'t fool him.

Lupin and Weasley were mere annoyances, as far as he was concerned. He could ignore them here the same as he could ignore them back at Hogwarts. It was an inconvenience that they had to be here. It was an invconvenience that he had to be here. He didn\'t want to play nursemaid to anyone. Certainly not to a former student, and a bloody Gryffindor to boot, who was stupid enough to get herself caught by Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange. But Dumbledore had placed his trust in the surly ex-Death Eater, and that meant something to Severus. Not that he\'d likely ever tell anyone without obliviating their memory or killing them. So he was here, to aide in Bri\'s recovery in whatever capacity he could.

\'Everything you should need is here, Severus. I expect you will be able to manage well enough without me?\' Albus asked him, his voice ending the small measure of peace Snape had found in merely observing the others. He knew that the question Dumbledore was really asking was \'You\'ll be able to stay here on your own without killing anyone, won\'t you?\' Severus managed a slight nod, his lips pressed together in a thin line of complete resentment. He did know how to behave himself. He wasn\'t a child. Albus needn\'t remind him he couldn\'t harm any of them.

The smile the Headmaster allowed to spread across his face didn\'t help the fouler than normal mood Severus found himself in. The wily old fox either had something planned, or he knew what the other man was thinking. Severus was of a mind to believe that it was both. Were that the case, he was bound to be in all sorts of trouble. The thought gave him no comfort.

\'Very well. Since you requie nothing further of me, I will be off. I expect all of you to behave yourselves while you\'re here,\' Albus warned them all. He tightened his hold on the small cricket bat and grinned a moment. \'Fudge bunnies!\'

In an instant, he was gone.

The group stood for a few moments, looking about them as if they expected something to jump out at them. Severus sighed and decided it was up to him to take charge. It seemed as if that was what Dumbledore had wanted anyway. \'Right then. I suggest we all find out rooms. It would be wise to pick one you could live with for an extended period of time, as we shall be here for just that. Miss Wallace, if you will come with me.\'

Bri managed to get to her feet on her own. He watched her as she brushed off the offered help of Potter and Izzy both. He didn\'t know if it was her independent nature, or if she didn\'t trust them. It was heartening to see the scowls the two of them wore when she finally stood next to him. He gestured for the doorway, allowing her to precede him out of the room. He was just stepping though the open portal when Potter\'s voice stopped him.

\'Excuse me, Professor, but where is here?\' he asked. He turned back round to face the room, finding all eyes on him. He held onto his sigh of frustration. Leave it to Dumbledore to lay the task of telling everyone where they were hidden on his shoulders.

\'Welcome, Mr. Potter,\' Snape drawled slowly, his piercing black gaze locked onto the young man as if he were a predator marking it\'s prey. \'To Otherworld. I\'m sure you\'ll enjoy the stay.\'

With that last phrase, he spun on his heel and marched from the room. Let the lot of them figure it out on their own.......

end chapter seven.
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many thanks to those of you who keep me going.... madam shark, kenly, red...... my regulars. and to those who are reading and lurking. thanks you, too. if you keep coming back, it means you\'ve found something in here you like.

this story will eventually contain smut, but i\'m on this build a plot thingie, so bear with me. this chapter was sort of an in between type thing. can\'t have the smut going on yet.... bri needs to heal, first. let me know if you think it\'s working, or if you have some suggestions on what i can do to make it work better.

and to summer: thanks for your kind review. it will, at some point, become a love story.....for more than one character. and i don\'t think all the bad would just go away either with the fall of voldemort. good and bad are always there..... just some people don\'t notice.