As Severus and Remus neared the room where Harry slept, they could hear soft moaning. As if by silent agreement, the two wizards quickened their pace. The moaning became louder as they reached the door. Harry was crying out in pain. His pain potion should not have worn off so quickly, thought Severus as he reached the door, flinging it open. Harry lay on the bed, tangled in his blankets and clutching his scar as his body writhed in obvious pain.

Remus reached the boy's side first. "Harry? Harry, it's okay. We're here." The lycanthrope touched Harry's shoulder gently.

Severus smirked as the teen quieted immediately upon hearing Lupin's soft voice. The boy blinked and squinted as if trying unsuccessfully to focus his gaze. Snape watched as Lupin drew Harry's glasses from his shirt pocket and then placed them on the boy's face. The young Gryffindor slowly cocked his head to the side, his expression unreadable. Harry's slow, deliberate movements were so unlike the teen's usual hurried motions that Severus began to have a sinking feeling about the way things were going. A feral grin split Harry's face and he laughed, a high pitched cackle that made the hairs on the back of Severus' neck stand on end. Severus' eyes suddenly widened in surprise. That laugh! I know that laugh! the Potions Master thought with increasing trepidation. As Harry stared deeply into Severus' eyes, the teacher could swear he saw a faint trace of a red glow within their emerald depths.

An eerie voice came from the young Gryffindor's body. "Severus, my traitor." Harry's eyes narrowed as he glared at Snape.

Severus felt an icy sting in his Dark Mark, one that traveled up his arm and ended in his heart, chilling him to the bone. This can't be happening, thought Severus. The Potions Master could not seem to move at all. After all of this time, all of this work for the Order, all of the meticulous planning to prevent being found out, it just can't be happening. Severus' thoughts were scrabbling around in his mind as he stared mutely at the boy/Dark Lord until the eye contact was broken by someone's hand covering Potter's eyes.

Remus' hand shot out, covering Harry's' eyes and breaking the link. The lycanthrope gaped at Severus, silently mouthing ‘you-know-who'?

Severus, who had gone white as a sheet, mutely nodded, his heart hammering against his ribs, so loud he was certain the werewolf could hear it. His eyes caught Lupin's curious gaze and he sneered in turn, not wishing to show any further vulnerability. The Potions Master raked a trembling hand through his black hair as his mind whirled considering the implications. It seemed the day he had always known was coming had indeed arrived. Severus had been discovered as a spy. The Dark Lord would be out for his blood.

Speaking of blood, with the Dursleys dead, Potter no longer had the protection from his mother's sacrifice. The child was in a vulnerable position, compounded considerably by his currently weakened physical condition. Potter was practically helpless with the Dark Lord knowing exactly where to look for him. We must go into hiding at once, thought Severus. Mother! She will now be in danger as well! Well that settles it; she simply must go into hiding with us. Severus took a deep breath. May Merlin protect us all!

§§§§§§§§§§§§

Harry bit his lip, feeling suddenly dizzy as he felt Voldemort leaving his mind. It frightened Harry to have no control over his mind, to see what was happening but being unable to do anything terrified him. It was like having a terrible nightmare from which you cannot awaken. The teen began to tremble, hating his helplessness. Harry yanked desperately at Remus' hand, trying to pull it away from his eyes. "Voldemort! He saw Snape! He knows that Snape brought me here." Harry wasn't sure how he felt about that. Yes, Snape was a nasty git but Harry didn't want to be responsible for anyone else's death.

Remus removed his hand and looked at Harry with sadness in his amber eyes. "I'm afraid so."

"We must leave here at once," Snape barked, shaking off the last of his shock. "Lupin, notify Dumbledore and tell him we must leave here immediately."

"You must go to headquarters," Remus said matter-of-factly, pulling out his hand mirror.

"What?" Harry shrieked. "I can't go there…not anymore." Thoughts of Sirius filled his mind. "Please don't make me go there. I'll go anywhere else!" He frantically searched his mind for any reason why he couldn't go to Number 12 Grimmauld Place. "What about Kreacher?"

"Dobby was dispatched to headquarters after…what happened to Sirius," the werewolf said, his voice fading as he said the name of his dear friend. Clearing his throat, Remus continued, "Kreacher is no longer there and Dobby has modified the old house-elf's memory." Remus smiled weakly.

"Please don't make me go there…please?" Harry reached out to grab Remus' shirt.

Going to headquarters did not sit well with the Potions Master either but their immediate safety overrode any other concerns at this point. Severus frowned at the scene before him, turning away from the two. Lupin always seemed to be putty in Potter's hands but Severus would not allow himself to be put in the same position. Suddenly irritated by what he saw as teenage hysterics from an overindulged child Severus barked, "That is enough, Potter!"

The sudden sound caused the other two to jump before turning to look at Severus. The Potions Master then turned on his heel to face Lupin, glaring at the lycanthrope. "Prepare the child to go," he said in a deceptively soft voice. "We leave in five minutes." Snape then swept from the room leaving the others staring after him in stunned silence.

Remus sighed. "You won't be there very long, Harry, and never alone." He patted the teen's hand. "We'll see to that."

Harry was not ready to concede. "I can't go there!"

"I'm sorry Harry, but it's the only safe place," the lycanthrope answered, secretly wondering if there was any place safe for the teen now.

§§§§§§§§§§§§

In mere minutes the household had prepared to vacate Wildwood. Harry was momentarily alone in the bedroom laying on the stretcher that Remus had conjured for him. His mind was filled with thoughts of Sirius. It seemed like only yesterday that his godfather had met his undeserved fate, falling through the veil. Closing his eyes, Harry could replay the scene over and over again in his mind with haunting clarity. With Sirius' death, Harry had not only lost his godfather, but the last person who had really loved him. Harry absently picked at a loose thread on the blanket covering his currently useless legs I wonder if the portrait of Mrs. Black is still screeching at people? he thought. He bit his lip hard as he felt tears spring into his eyes. The pain of his loss was still so fresh, so raw. Hearing the door open Harry quickly wiped his eyes and turned his head away from the door, trying to hide the evidence of his tears.

§§§§§§§§§§§§

"I cannot understand why we have to do things in such a rush! For Merlin's sake, Severus, I was just going to take a nice bath. You know how my legs bother me if I don't get a good soak," Maia protested as she wheeled into Harry's room with a small gray cat sleeping on her lap. Poe silently followed in the Healer's wake; his small arms loaded down with boxes, which he was hastily shrinking and stuffing into his pockets. The Healer stopped once inside the room and twisted in her chair to look behind her, realizing she was alone except for the house-elf and the patient in bed. "Where did he go? Severus? Severus?"

Severus ignored his mother's complaints as he stopped outside the room to go over some last minute instructions with Lupin. "Here's the portkey." Severus handed Remus a quill, tip-first. "Touch the opposite end when you're ready. It will take you to the main sitting room in Number 12 Grimmauld Place. Take Potter and go. I'll get my mother and meet you there."

"Yes, of course," Remus said, watching Severus turn for the door. The werewolf reached out and took Severus' arm. "Be careful."

Severus first sneered at the offending hand touching his arm, but after seeing the concern in the lycanthrope's face, he briefly nodded then hurried after his mother, with Lupin following.

"There you are! It's very rude of you to do all of this, without any explanation! I demand to know what this is about!" Maia snapped, crossing her arms over her chest in a manner so similar to her son's that it was easy to see where he had learned it. The gray cat continued his nap, apparently oblivious to the commotion around him.

"Mother, I have told you that I will explain things as soon as we are safely at our destination," Severus calmly explained, trying valiantly to hold his temper in check.

"You haven't even told me where this destination is, young man! I will not move one inch from this room until I know more," Maia fumed.

Severus had had enough. He strode across the room to his mother, his face red with rage. "We will discuss this later, Mother! Time is of the essence!"

Maia's brown eyes grew round. "I-I…how dare you speak to me that way!"

A loud crash reverberated through the house, shaking it to its very core. A loud bell began to sound through every room of the house. Downstairs black robed figures with white masks poured in through the now-charred opening of what had once been the front door.

Severus pointed his wand to the wall and conjured a magical blueprint of the house with areas glowing in red where the wards were breached. Multiple red dots headed for the staircase. Severus began to fortify the door with spells, flashes of color springing from the tip of his wand. "These wards won't hold for long!" Severus yelled to Remus over the deafening shriek of the alarm. "Take Potter and go now!"

Remus swallowed hard and ran to Harry holding out the quill, his shaky hand evidence of his rising fear. Severus glanced over his shoulder as the two disappeared from sight. He then handed the house-elf a paper that gave him the location of house. "Go now, Poe. We'll be along!" Severus' head was now pounding with the rhythm of the alarm. Severus watched Poe Disapparate and then held out another quill to his mother. He could see the fear in her eyes, even as she tried to hide it from him.

Maia was terrified. She had not realized the severity of the situation they were in up to this point and now it was all crashing down around her ears. She knew very little of Death Eaters first hand and was certainly not eager to learn it now. As she extended a tremulous hand for the quill, she jostled the sleeping cat. The cat promptly leapt off her lap and ran under the bed where Harry had lain. "No! Spencer, come back!"

"Forget that cat mother! We've got to go. Now!" Severus tried unsuccessfully to get his mother to touch the quill.

"I won't leave without Spencer!" Maia shrieked.

Pocketing the quill and balling his hands into fists in frustration, Severus dropped to his knees and scrambled to the bed, reaching under for the cat. Spencer would have none of that and clawed his hand, hissing loudly. "Bloody cat!" yelled Severus, drawing his hand back to look at the red stripes covering it. Sneering, he reached under the bed again and as he did so he could feel the floor beneath him tremble with approaching footsteps. The cat clawed his hand again. Jerking his hand back and cradling it to his chest he pleaded with his mother over the deafening alarm, "Mother please, we must forget the cat and go!"

Tears sprang to Maia's eyes. "I can't leave without my Spencer!" The cat had been her companion for the last fifteen years and she would not allow him to be left behind to the Death Eaters.

"Bloody hell!" Growling, Severus stood, drew his wand and called, "Accio cat!" The frightened cat reluctantly flew into Severus' arms, claws first. Severus tried to get the claws from his shoulders but the frightened cat held on for dear life. Stupid cat! Let go of me before I grind you up to make a potion! he thought exasperatedly. The cat seemed to sense Severus' anger and clawed harder in an attempt to push away from him and back to the safety of Maia's arms.

"No, Spencer!" Maia gingerly pulled the cat from her son and held the frightened animal to her chest just as the door to the bedroom blew off its hinges. A black robed figure crossed the threshold, a silver knife blade glinting in his hand.

"Mother, now!" Severus shoved the quill into his mother's hand just as a streak of silver sailed through the air.

§§§§§§§§§§§§

Remus appeared with Harry at Number 12 Grimmauld Place. The former teacher lay Harry gently on the couch and perched on the edge of an armchair, awaiting the others. Poe appeared after a few seconds and Remus set him to the task of preparing rooms for the guests who would be arriving. Remus then pulled out his hand mirror to call Dumbledore. The lycanthrope took a moment to explain the situation then listened while Albus asked a question before answering, "Yes, Albus, Death Eaters. I have Harry here at Grimmauld Place but Severus and his mother aren't here yet. They should've been right behind me." Remus stood and began pacing the floor.

Harry lay on the couch in the sitting room, watching the scene play out. What if the Snapes are dead? he thought. How many more people will die because of me? Harry swallowed thickly, feeling sick to his stomach. He closed his eyes and continued to listen to the one-sided conversation.

"Yes, Albus. We'll be here." Remus shut the mirror case and slid it into his pocket before sinking into an overstuffed armchair near the couch where Harry lay. He stared at the floor for a few seconds and then looked up, seeing Harry gazing at him. "How're you holding up?" Remus asked, smiling at Harry and trying to put his mind at ease, even as the former teacher glanced around the room expectantly.

The Snapes suddenly appeared in the sitting room and Remus leapt to his feet. "What happened? What took you so long?"

The gray cat jumped from Maia's lap and dashed upstairs. "It's my fault," said Maia. "Spencer got away and Severus had to get him back."

Severus stood beside his mother, clutching the back handle of the wheelchair with a white-knuckled grip. "Mother, I need to tell you—"

"—I am sorry, dear, about Spencer. But it's all worked out in the end anyway." She turned to look at her son and gaped. "Severus?" Her son was as pale as death and as one hand clutched the handle of the wheelchair, the other clutched his abdomen where a glint of silver showed clearly, protruding from the black robes.

As if surprised, Severus said, "It would seem that I have been stabbed." He then dropped to his knees and blacked out. Remus knelt beside Severus, pulling him onto his back and conjuring a pillow.

Maia made a small noise in the back of her throat. She had never seen her son in mortal danger and it shocked her to the core to see him lying on the floor so still with the blood pooling under his robes. All of her years of training and experience went out the window, she simply could not think. What do I do? Oh, Severus! Her mind raced and she tried hard to focus her thoughts. My son needs me, blast it! She gritted her teeth and began to bark orders to Remus. "Get him on a table, you dunderhead! I cannot treat him on the floor! Do I look like I can crawl around on the ground like some animal? This chair isn't for looks, you know."

Remus quickly levitated Severus to a table that Maia had transfigured from the armchair then looked to the Healer for the next order.

Harry could not clearly see what was happening from his position on the couch. His eyes were drawn to where Snape's hand hung limply over the side of the table. Severus' long slender fingers were half-curled and stained crimson. Grimacing, Harry looked away only to glance back at the sudden crackly sound from the fireplace.

Albus calmly stepped out of the Floo into the sitting room, followed closely by Tonks. She immediately whisked Harry upstairs to a bedroom per Lupin's instructions. Once she had him safely in the bedroom she said, "I'll be back to check on you shortly, Harry."

"Is he going to be okay? Snape, I mean?" Harry asked, guilt written all over his young face.

"I'm sure he'll be fine, Harry. Our Professor Snape is a real fighter," Tonks said, but Harry noticed that her smile did not reach her eyes. Shutting the door softly behind her, she exited the room.

Harry was alone. He stared at the faded wallpaper on the wall. He wasn't sure how many bedrooms were in this house but he didn't think he'd been in this one before. He looked at the cozy looking armchair near the fire and saw someone's discarded clothes lying strewn on the floor behind it. Is this the room where Remus stays? Harry wondered. He glanced at the bureau and saw that someone had laid out a comb and brush and some aftershave. He then saw a letter on the bedside table. The paper looked worn and creased, like it had been read and reread many times. Harry looked away, thinking Remus' letters were none of his business. He slowly drifted off into much needed sleep.

Harry wasn't sure how much time passed before he woke from his nap. He could hear no sounds coming from downstairs but Tonks might have put a silencing spell on the room. How long do I have the have this binding spell on my legs? Harry thought dejectedly. His legs were beginning to ache. Trying to take his mind off the pain he looked around the room again, suddenly becoming very curious about that letter. Could it be from a girl? Did Remus have a girlfriend? Lupin was a nice guy but did his lycanthropy keep women at bay? Harry stared at the letter and slowly reached for it. No! I can't do that. It's none of my business. Harry drew his hand back and tried to get more comfortable, but his movements only increased his pain. Suddenly he reached out and grabbed the letter. He felt guilty for prying and almost put it back, but at this point he was desperate for anything to distract him from the increasing pain, so instead he carefully opened the letter.

Dear Snuffles,

Hope you're okay, the first week back here's been terrible, I'm

really glad it's the weekend.

We've got a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor

Umbridge. She's nearly as nice as your mum. I'm writing

because that thing I wrote to you about last summer happened

again last night when I was doing a detention with Umbridge.

We're all missing our biggest friend, we hope he'll be back soon.

Please write back quickly.

Best,

Harry

Dazed, Harry let the letter slip from his limp fingers to flutter to the floor. This room isn't Lupin's… It's Sirius' room! Harry looked at the personal items again, as if seeing them for the first time. This room even smelled like Sirius. Why didn't I notice that before? he thought, his eyes filling with tears.

§§§§§§§§§§§§

Severus?… Severus?… Severus could vaguely hear someone calling his name. The voice was familiar but the effort it would take to bring him to full consciousness was too great so he ignored the persistent little voice in favor of drifting back to sleep

Severus?… Severus?… He could feel his shoulder being gently shaken causing his eyelids to flutter. A low moan escaped his lips. Severus was cold and hurt everywhere, most especially in his abdomen. He was taken aback at seeing people bent over him. Dumbledore had him by the shoulders with his mother and Lupin nearby. Tonks had a cloth over his abdomen pressing down firmly. He tried to sit up and was held down by strong hands on his shoulders and by the even stronger pain in his gut. Wincing, Severus reached for his abdomen.

"Keep still, Severus," Albus Dumbledore ordered.

Severus lay back and searched his mind for a reason that he would by lying on a table like some lab specimen. His mother was screeching at Lupin about a blood-replenishing potion. That's right! I was stabbed in the attack! Severus remembered.

"Drink this," Maia said, having Dumbledore hold a cup to Severus' lips.

Severus drank the potion, recognizing the pungent taste and aroma of a blood-replenishing potion. Finishing the draught, he lay back on the table, feeling drowsy. A shudder went through his body and his mother ordered Remus to cover him with a blanket.

"Severus, you're going to be fine, dear," his mother said though she would not meet his eyes.

"What is it, Mother? Poison?" Severus asked, clearly concerned.

"We cannot seem to stop the bleeding. None of the charms are working." Maia then smiled an artificial smile. "Don't you worry, Severus. Everything will be fine."

Severus knew every well that Death Eaters often coated their blades with all manner of poisons and began to go over the different ones in his mind. What poison would stop the blood from clotting? he thought to himself. Remus settled a thick woolen blanket over his now shivering body. Severus found himself looking for Potter and was surprised when he did not see him anywhere. "Where is P-Potter? Is he s-safe?" he managed through chattering teeth.

"Yes," replied Remus. "He's upstairs." The werewolf nodded to Tonks. "You took him up to the first room on the right?" Remus asked her.

"The first room on the right?" Tonks repeated and then considered this for a moment before replying, "No, I think you said the first room on the left."

"No, I said the right. The first room on the left is…was…shite!" Remus dashed from the room and up the stairs.