Harry frowned when he heard the sharp knock on the door. He glanced at his grandfather and watched the man walk to it. He leaned in his chair and craned his neck to see who it was a moment later.

"Mrs. Andrews? What are ya doing here?"

"Follow me, loves," replied the kind elderly woman.

"Don't take offense, but I think not. Not until ya tell us why."

"Your son is on my davenport currently, Tobias."

"What? Where's Aurora?"

"That's what he's trying to find out currently. Now, please, follow me."

"What did you do?"

"Nothing, Tobias. I swear."

"I don't believe ya."

"Something of which I said to you many times over the years, Tobias. Now, please. Come with me. I have no ulterior motives other than wanting you and young Harry to be with him. He will need people to ground him, I think."

Harry heard his grandfather inhale sharply before the man took a step back. His eyes darted between them, his frown deepening. What was going on?

"Grandpa? What's wrong?" Harry asked.

"Lizabeth?" Tobias breathed shakily.

"Yes, Tobias. It's me. Now, please. Come. We truly shouldn't leave him alone."

"Wait. What? Who's Lizabeth? What's going on? Grandpa?" Harry was beyond confused now.

"I'll explain later, child. For now, please come. Your father needs both of you," Mrs. Andrews said with a soft smile. "Come, Tobias. I'll make you some tea as well."

Harry pushed himself up off the sofa and followed his grandfather. He glanced up at the man every now and then, and noticed his grandpa's contemplative look. Who was she? And how did she and his grandfather know each other? He walked into her house a moment later, the door closing behind them silently. The young boy quickly went to his father's side.

"Dad?" He whirled around, glancing at Mrs. Andrews. "What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing, child. He's fine physically. He's merely trying to find Aurora, and that requires a bit of concentration of course."

"I don't understand," Tobias said quietly. "How? Ya were much—"

"Younger the last time you saw me?" Mrs. Andrews laughed shortly. "Yes."

Harry grabbed his dad's hand, squeezing it as he watched his father's face. The man looked like he was just sleeping deeply for all that Harry could tell. He could see his father's eyes move rapidly behind his eyelids, so the man had to be dreaming something.

"When will he wake up?" Harry turned back to her.

"After he finds her, child."

"Ya knew what was going on, didn't ya? And ya didn't say a word?"

"No, Tobias. I don't know fully what's going on. It doesn't work quite that well. I only know that whatever this is, it has something to do with Aurora. If I had known that Eileen would be taken, though, I would have hid her away and helped her stay safe. You know that, Tobias."

"No. What I know is that ya used to try to convince her to leave me," he growled, glaring at her.

"You were hiding things from her."

"Things I didn't want anyone to know! Not just her!"

"Stop it!" Harry shouted on the verge of tears as he stared at them. "I don't know who you are, and I don't care. I just want to know what's going on with my dad. All right? Tell me that. Please?"

"Your father is fine, Harry dear. Look at him. He's using a connection he accidentally made with Aurora. The connection is temporary, however, so I helped him along. Gave him a spot of tea with a few drops of Invigoration Draught. He'll wake up shortly. After he finds her, of course."

"What about Mum, though? Is she fine?"

"Your father could tell you that better than I. She's a bit hazier unfortunately." She gave him a somber smile. "Don't fret, love. It'll work out. Otherwise, your Grandmum Eileen would kill me."

~FKTF~

Snape heard overlapping voices around him in the darkness as he searched through it. Several moments had passed before he realized what Mrs. Andrews was saying without her actually saying it. There was a connection between Aurora and him. One he had made accidentally it would seem. Or perhaps he hadn't done it accidentally but instinctively. It didn't matter which it was honestly.

"Well, well, well," a low male voice said, swirling about the darkness.

Snape's eyes narrowed before he focused on the voice. Maybe that was where Aurora was. Every bit of concentration he had went into trying to find a way to see her. He had to find her.

"Who do we have here? Hmm?" A balding man said slowly fazing in with the surroundings that were appearing as well. The man smiled sinisterly as his eyes flicked over something—Aurora, Snape noted a moment later when she finally appeared as well. "Now, listen here, beautiful. All right?"

Snape glanced back to Aurora and frowned. The vampire who had taken her earlier still had his arm wrapped tightly around her midsection, pinning her arms by her sides. She looked fine, though, in his opinion. Slightly worried, of course, but she was definitely alive still.

"My issue isn't with you, beautiful," drawled the balding man as he ran the back of his hand down her cheek. "It's with your mother. You see, Syra stole something very valuable. And I just want it back. She hands that over, and I'll release you. Simple as that."

"You think she gives a damn about me?" Aurora replied, scoffing.

"You better hope for your sake that she does, sweet. Otherwise, you won't fare very well." The man smiled sickly sweet. "You see, I have friends in all sorts of high places. It's how I was able to take all the others so easily. Nothing will stop me from finding it. Got it?"

"Finding what?"

"That's for me to know, sweet."

"Something about this Project Unicorn crap?"

"What do you know about that?" When she refused to answer, the man grabbed her chin and growled. "Answer me, sweet, because you won't like me angry."

"Just that Dumbledore asked one of your friends about it when he got captured."

"Oh, yes, I bet the old man was wondering about it." The man scoffed, releasing her. "He was the one who signed off on it after all. Thought it could be used for the greater good purposes. To save lives." The man clucked his tongue in disgust. "He didn't see what the rest of us did. The true good it'd do. But that's for another time." The man laughed quietly. "Let's see. Usually I'm one for sending a pound of flesh to loved ones for proof, but I'll make an exception in your case."

Snape snarled, jumping forward to throw the man up against the wall. However, his hands went straight through the other man. Snape hissed at this before he glanced at Aurora. The fear certainly had increased in her eyes, but she desperately tried to hide it.

"Aurora!" shouted Snape. There had to be a way he could reach her. Her eyes remained on the other man, however.

"A back molar would do well, hmm? Might get the point across to your dear mummy, don't you think, Aurora?" the man said with a dark chuckle.

"You bastard!"

"Like I said, sweet, I truly don't have a problem with you. Just your mother." He nodded to another man who had walked into the room. "Try not to hurt her too much, will you?"

Snape watched the vampire's arm around her tighten before its free hand wrenched her mouth open. At the sight of the other man approaching with an instrument of some kind in hand, Snape's eyes darted wildly around the seemingly medical-like room. There had to be something he could use to get Aurora's attention. He found nothing, though. Hearing her fearful whimpers in front of him, he reacted on pure instinct and reached for her.

"Focus on me dammit!" shouted Snape. "Me, not them!" When he saw her eyes dart towards him a second later, he knew he was successful. "Think of me. Now!" He wasn't certain how the link worked, but instinct drove him. He needed to protect her. To get her out of there. To shield her from being tortured for as long as he could. "If you truly love me, think of me now!" His gut clenched at the sound of her pain-filled screams, the view of her wide brown eyes on him. "Now, Aurora! Think of me!" He watched her eyes close, doing his best to block out the man extracting her tooth.

A moment later, Snape found himself being thrown into darkness again. It took him a second for his eyes to adjust before he saw Aurora. The link. This had to be it. Their minds were joined fully if only temporarily. She stood before him, confused and scared.

"How?"

"We're sharing a mental link. It's temporary, though, but . . ." His voice trailed off. He didn't know what to say. "As long as you stay with me, focus on me, you won't feel the pain." He swallowed, staring at her before taking a step forward. "It's like occluding one's mind."

"How, Severus?"

"I-I don't know how I made the link. I'm not sure when I did." He took another step towards her. Instinct was still driving him.

"You're not here with me. They'd have seen you. So, where are you?"

"Mrs. Andrews's sofa." He watched her eyes soften.

"Oh, no," she whispered, her arms wrapping around herself. "How badly are you hurt?"

"Felix Felicis, woman," he growled, his frustration taking over for a second. "For once in your goddamn life, don't concern yourself with my wellbeing. Put yourself first. I'm fine, whereas you're not." He finally reached her and pulled her into his arms. "You come first this time. Not me."

"Severus," she started to argue.

"Silence, woman!" He growled under his breath. "Merlin above! You're the one being tortured out there, not me." Something flashed around them, startling both of them. He frowned, reminded once more that the link was temporary. "Tell me everything you saw. No matter how insignificant you think it is. Smells. Noises. Sights. Touches. Anything."

"Um, old rundown military barracks. Building 7, I think. There, um, are no windows. A large Maple tree with some sort of plaque." Another flash followed by a jolt pain seeped in, then. Her eyes darted to him as if she knew what was to come. "Severus." She trembled against him. "I love you."

"I—" A roar echoed before he felt her ripped away as she returned to her mind. "NO!"

~FKTF~

The exact second Harry felt his dad squeeze his hand, he whirled around. It had been an hour since the man had slipped into this state. His eyes caught his grandfather's.

"I think he's waking up."

"I reckon yer right, lad," Tobias replied with a relieved look. He frowned when Mrs. Andrews placed a bucket beside Harry. "Now, just what do ya think yer doing, giving him that, Lizzie?" He winced a moment later when he watched his son roll over and promptly sick up into the bucket. "Ah."

"Their link isn't exactly stable, Tobias. It's going to take a toll on him, unfortunately," Mrs. Andrews sighed. "All right there, dear?"

Harry's eyes darted back to his father as he waited for his dad to reply. He could see how pale his father was again and how drained the older wizard looked. He bit his bottom lip, watching his father breathe in and out in an attempt to calm himself likely.

"Aurora," groaned his dad, flopping back against the sofa.

Harry's eyes narrowed when he noticed his dad shaking slightly. He opened his mouth and closed it several times. What was wrong with his dad?

"Yes, dear, we know," kindly responded Mrs. Andrews, placing a wet washcloth on his dad's forehead.

"Hurts," grimaced his dad.

"Well, what did you expect to feel after forcing the bridge wider between your minds, dear? Euphoria? Of course it was going to hurt."

"Lizzie, yer not helping," grumbled Tobias as he moved closer. "Did ya see her, son?"

"They're" his dad gasped "torturing her, Dad."

Harry's heart dropped instantly. They were torturing his mum? Why? She wouldn't hurt anyone. It didn't make sense. His eyes remained on his dad, watching the man continue to shake.

"Did she give ya any clues where she's at, Severus?"

"Old barracks. Building 7. No windows." His dad gasped, groaning before continuing. "Maple tree with a plaque."

"Shh, rest now, dear." She placed a hand on his shoulder. "You did well. Won't do you any good to fight off your rest. We'll wake you up in a bit. Off you go, Severus. We'll take it from here."

"No." Harry's dad rolled his head against the pillow. "No. I-I have to find her."

"And you will, dear, but not when you're drained like this. Rest. We have it in hand."

"No rest. I have to find her. Protect her." He sounded so exhausted in Harry's opinion.

Harry watched Mrs. Andrews gently grab his dad's chin so he'd look at her. Her eyes had softened somewhat as she looked down on his dad somberly.

"For once in your life, dear, don't be a stubborn mule. It's a trait your mother would smack you upside the head for and say you got it from your father. Now, be a good boy and rest. Otherwise, I'll tell your mother about you when she returns and let her deal with you. And I'm certain you remember what happens to people who get the force of her wrath placed on them. Hmm?"

Harry heard his grandfather chuckle softly beside him. He couldn't see what was funny, though. But clearly there seemed to be some inside info he wasn't privy to about Mrs. Andrews and Tobias.

"Good boy. Your mother would be proud to know she didn't raise a dunderhead." Mrs. Andrews gave his dad a faint smile as his head lulled to the side. "Well, then, now that he's resting. Shall we?"

"Who are you?" Harry asked, frowning.

"She's yer grandmum's best friend," Tobias answered quietly.

"Former best friend, that is," Mrs. Andrews corrected with a sigh. "And formerly godmother to your father as well, Harry dear."

"Grandmum and you don't get along anymore?"

"Well, she's missing first off, Harry, so that causes issues obviously. And, secondly, well, I overstepped my bounds with her."

"Which in simple terms means she didn't give up on her quest to get yer grandmum to kick me to the gutter, lad."

"Oh please, Tobias." Mrs. Andrews scoffed. "As if I would have been wrong in that request."

"Now, you listen here, Lizzie. I ain't ever laid a hand on El. The only damn thing I'm guilty of is lying to her about being a Muggle, which ain't really something I lied about."

"Really now? So, you told her then that you were a wizard?"

"No."

"Then, you lied, Tobias. You lied by not being entirely truthful with her. If you had just told her the truth, then I wouldn't have been so suspicious of you."

"Oh, yeah, cause El would've loved to have found out that I wasn't as exotic as she first thought. Yeah, sure, Lizzie, and pigs fly."

Harry frowned. Adults were idiots. There was no other way to put it. They were idiots. He glanced towards his dad and pressed his lips tighter together.

"Do you know why he's shaking like that?" the young boy asked quietly.

"It's the link, dear," Mrs. Andrews replied kindly. "You see, sometimes with people like your father who are naturally gifted in the Mental Arts, they create mental bridges with people they hold dear to them. Love in other words. Your father accidentally created one with Aurora, but he didn't finish it. In fact, he wasn't even aware he had started to make one with her until tonight."

Harry's eyes narrowed. He didn't understand.

"It's a bit like how you have two wires sometimes; one is fastened down correctly while the other is flapping in the wind. Every now and then, the wire swinging in the wind will touch the fastened down one and create a spark. Sometimes that spark will power the telly, and you can watch that cute Connery boy and all his movies. Understand?"

Harry nodded slowly with a laugh. He heard his grandfather groan and glanced at him.

"Honestly, Lizzie. Must ya bring that man up?"

"What? Eileen had him right. He's quite the charmer." She smiled. "Your grandmother fancies the pants right off him much to your grandfather's obvious discontent." She then sighed. "Don't worry, Harry dear. Severus will find Aurora in the end, and you'll get your family. I know it." She drew in a slow breath. "Now then, who's going to help me with dinner while we wait for Severus to wake up?"