“Twilight, a timid, fawn, went glimmering by, and Night, the dark-blue hunter, followed fast.” -George William Russell

Severus Snape continued to curse the idiotic Gryffindor that desired to be the bane of his existence. And in a twisted way, stood as a reason for his existence. Damn, he hated the brat. The Boy-Who-Lived was always causing trouble and being an inconvenience and only Snape seemed to be the right headed person to notice this. Like now, the boy thought it was a perfect opportunity to go missing when there were plenty of threats out there specifically for him! Himself excluded. If the boy wasn’t found soon, a good, thorough plan needed to be set up…the Dark Lord would take every advantage of this situation.

What he wouldn’t do for a stiff drink right now.

At the moment, the entire castle was being searched as it was near midnight and it was priority that all students be in their dorms by ten. Harry bloody Potter was the only one not accounted for. The impudent teenager was not to be found in the Gryffindor Common Room, the kitchens, the Great Hall or the Quidditch pitch. After scouring those areas thoroughly the staff then decided to search the library and the classrooms and all other places for signs of the Potter spawn.

Severus Snape had gone down to speak with Hagrid for a few ingredients the half-giant was tending to in his care when the groundskeeper then informed him of the boy’s visit an hour earlier. Snape had taken to the grounds then and noticed the footprints in the dirt and disturbed branches of the Forbidden Forest. The Potions Master groaned loudly in frustration as he followed the tracks and lit his wand with a quick ‘lumos’. The double spy was not one to panic be he couldn’t stop the agonizing knot in his chest as he noticed the other footsteps that had literally dragged their captive into the trees. But then the smaller footprints had been able to escape. They had headed back to the castle then stopped, no, vanished near a crop of trees surrounded by shrubbery.

Perhaps the thick headed boy had gotten lucky—again—and made it back to the castle. It was not unusual for the boy to miraculously jump start his quick thinking in dangerous situations that would get him through by a hair’s width. At least the boy possessed some brains and used it when needed. If only the boy wasn’t so rash into getting into these kinds of situations to begin with!

After searching for a couple of hours in the woods Snape was certain he was the only one there save the beasts that probably watched him carefully from the shadows…and the small frightened creature that hid beneath the dense bushes.

So he had sent word to the Headmaster. Snape had not found Albus’s poster boy in the Forbidden Forest…as much as he would have liked to get his hands on the boy and given him a rather large piece of his mind.

After Snape had witnessed the interaction between his patronus and the feeble fawn, the Potions Master couldn’t help but bring to mind the two individuals that seemed to determinedly take residence in his thoughts. …it was these two that gave his life purpose, sad and pathetic as other people would see it. But other people didn’t matter.

And then to tear the two apart after a brief yet intense moment of bonding, why did fate seem intent on reminding the man of his past mistakes? Was he not making atonement for them even now?

Now he was in an even worse mood as he opened the large entrance doors to Hogwarts. He hadn’t noticed the shaking, clumsy creature following behind him until he had turned to shut the door.

The little fawn awkwardly took on the challenge of the stone steps leading to the doors.

Clip. Clop. C-clip-clop. Clop. Clop. Clip. Clop. Cli-clop. Clip.

Snape stood there unable to keep his baffled expression from making itself known. The fragile animal, a babe compared to the adults of its kind had followed him all the way from the forest—up the pathway—ventured the rather steep hills—and finally up these stairs to follow him. Him.

Oh, Merlin—the fawn was still following him for its ‘supposed’ mother’s sake.

The evil, feared Potions Master that lurked in the Hogwarts dungeons could not for the life of him picture the ridiculous picture of his trip coming back from the forest, the pathetic fawn following steadfast in his wake. Snape closed his eyes with a long-suffering sigh as the embarrassing image took over his mind’s eye. This would not do at all!

Somehow, he had to get the fawn scurrying back to the forest before anyone saw him. Remembering the state the creature had been during their first encounter, Snape surmised that the creature must still hold some fear in its trembling form. There was no way the fawn would follow him into the castle.

Clip. Clop. Clip. Cli-cli-clop. Clop.

Yet the fawn continued to close the distance between them with an unwavering look of…of…hopeful expectancy on its face.

Snape sighed again as he pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. Resolutely the man lowered his hand and gave his trademark glower, usually saved for Potter himself or one of his dunderheaded friends on occasion. The little fawn couldn’t have gotten over his fear of him so quickly.

He took a couple of slow menacing steps towards the fawn and he didn’t budge.

But the small thing was anything but frightened.

He wagged his tail, throwing back and forth the little tuft of cream fur that stuck out from under it that cheered like a pompom in one of those absurd muggle sports. The quaking, abandoned animal he had discovered before had somehow attached itself to him as well as his Patronus. The situation was getting out of hand.

All because of a fawn that could barely stand on its own legs! And it was Potter’s fault, as usual. Damn you, Potter!

“You are not welcome here.” Snape told the fawn with a frown. He was hoping the strange sound of a human voice would have the beguiled creature running for the hills. It still didn’t budge. AND it continued its damned tail wagging. “This is a school for wizards and witches…not deer.” What was going on? He did not just say that, did he? Even his tone had softened compared to what he had intended. “Perhaps a trail of acorns…” Snape mused out loud.

Then the small fawn took a step towards so that he had to crane his head to look up at Snape. The man was startled to be captured by those eyes…those large dark eyes. Only one, no, two other people had eyes that could unwillingly capture his attention like this. But this was just random and mad. How could this little creature just—

Then there was a flash of green as the fire of a lamp above his head flickered and danced.

“POTTER!”

Snape cursed the animal for wagging his tail more heartily at the outburst.

The man couldn’t stop his hand from aiding the blooming migraine that had started to persist since the news of Potter’s disappearance. What exactly had Potter gotten himself into? Snape didn’t want to know now. Yet here he was, Harry, the ‘fawn-who-lived’.

And looking down at the blissful creature Snape was sure the boy’s memories had left him, temporarily he hoped. The Gryffindor would be likely to die of embarrassment at the knowledge of his current predicament. Snape was close to it as well.

But…how suiting that Potter had transformed into a fawn. The boy wasn’t as grown up as the brat always thought he was. And then there was Potter Senior’s animagus form…and then Lily’s patronus as well as his own, Snape cringed to notice. How he had come to be saddled with the Potter family for all eternity was beyond him.

But of course, it was all because of his patronus…and Lily…

“Severus?” an elderly, female voice called from the nearest corner.

Snape was just as alarmed by the voice as the fawn as he dreaded the encounter of someone finding him with this tiny Potter. Snape looked down to see the fawn tremble and look wildly around himself and then finally at the Potions Master.

Then the fawn forced himself beneath Snape’s robes.

“Potter, what in Merlin’s—” Snape hissed but then his robes settled and he could feel the thin, lithe legs of the animal curled between his legs and lying on his feet. But he looked up to see the Deputy Headmistress making her way towards him.

“Severus, there you are. I was about to send you my patronus—” Snape’s eye gave a brief twitch. He had had enough Patronus for one night, thank you very much. “—to inform you that Potter has not been spotted within the castle as of yet. Oh, and do close that door, Severus, you’re letting the draft in!” Minerva McGonagall scolded her former student.

Snape was about to tell her a sharp remark—seeing as how he couldn’t move from his spot, not that she needed to know that—just as Albus Dumbledore made his way from around the same corner.

“Ah, Severus, Minerva, I do believe that we shall need to schedule an hourly night watch.” the elderly man said, his voice giving off his fatigue and age that Severus had not seen in a long while.

The Transfiguration professor nodded somberly as she shut the door herself. “I shall get started on it and inform the staff. You need some rest, Albus.”

“I shall stay up for a bit longer. Some of the Order members are to meet me within the hour. They shall help with searching the grounds for any clues to Mr. Potter’s sudden disappearance.”

Snape couldn’t help but snort.

“Severus!” McGonagall admonished her colleague. “It wouldn’t be funny if Mr. Potter was somewhere on the ground possibly injured!”

“I’m sure Potter is just playing hide and go seek to get our attention.” Snape drawled smoothly. “Potter’s penchant at landing himself into touble—” Snape froze.

He had nearly jumped out of his own skin.

All of his spying abilities had barely kept him from jumping out of his robes as well. This boy was just asking to be throttled, deer-brained or not!

Wet. Wet nose. Wet nose. Cold. Cold, wet nose.

Potter. Insufferable, annoying Potter! Idiotic, deer-brained, bloody Potter!

Snape’s face turned sour even as his two colleagues stared at him with quirked eyebrows. “Is something wrong, Severus?”

“No,” Snape answered dismissively. “As I was saying, Potter is an attention-seeking, ignorant boy who always thinks he is above the rules and sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong!” the dark haired man nearly hissed.

‘Remove your nose this instant, Potter!’ Snape fumed silently. As if hearing the man’s thoughts, Harry retracted his nose from inspecting Snape’s ankles. Snape shuddered to think of the state his socks were in.

Dumbledore and McGonagall were not sure how to reply to Snape’s strange yet unpredictable behavior. They were dealing with a Potter, after all.

“Albus, Severus,” Professor McGonagall said with a strange glance at the Potions Master. She had finally decided that things were getting a little strange. “I’ll keep an eye out for the Order when they arrive, headmaster.”

“Thank you, my dear,”

The elderly witch was out of ear shot when Dumbledore turned his twinkling periwinkle gaze on his spy.

“I believe there is something you’d like to tell me, Severus?”

Snape frowned. Best get the boy—fawn—off of his hands as soon as possible. “Yes, there is, headmaster. Potter is a—”

Dumbledore held up his hand shaking his head. “I know he’s snuck out past curfew before but Harry would never do so without a good reason. When will open your eyes, Severus? Harry is a good boy. I wish you would see that.”

“Headmaster, that’s not—”

AHH-CHHFFF!

Damn it, Potter!

"Severus, I do believe your robes have contracted a chill." the headmaster remarked with twinkling amusement. The robes had swayed from the high pitched sneeze that could have sounded anything from “a chip” to “la rip”. Then the old codger had the gall to beam as Potter, whom he was certain wished to ruin him no matter what state of mind he was in, poked his head out from beneath Snape’s robes. "Ah, what a lovely young, fairy cattle you have, my boy!"

Just great. Snape would have liked to keep some of his dignity when reporting to the headmaster of Potter’s predicament. Bullocks went that notion!

“Yes, Potter has by some ingenious train of thought decided to turn himself into a fanciful sprinter of the forest. How adequate.” Snape commented harshly. “It seems Potter has also managed to wipe out his memory as well.” He looked down to glare at the top of the fawn’s head…but it was draped by his own robes, only the creature’s nose sticking out. Harry looked warily at the headmaster, a stranger and possible threat in his mind.

“Oh, dear, I shall send for Minerva so she can assess Mr. Potter. Would you be gracious enough to take Harry to see Madam Pomphrey? I believe she has just returned from searching the third floor.”

“What? But, headmaster—”

“The others need to be informed that Mr. Potter has been found…but this situation should remain among as few as possible, don’t you think, Severus?”

“Yes, headmaster, but—”

“Mr. Potter seems very frightened by my presence so I shall take my leave. Do make sure he doesn’t go snooping in Pomona’s greenhouse. She wouldn’t like that.”

“Albus, why do I—”

“Thank you, my boy, come see me in my office for a full report…once Poppy finishes her examinations that is!” Dumbledore said in a sing-song tune as he was already retreating around the corner. Snape tried to glare a burst of flames onto the receding rainbow robes of his employer. Paychecks be damned! The old coot was trying to drive him over the edge!

As the headmaster made his retreat, Snape noticed the fawn begin to tentatively step out from beneath his robes and shakily stand beside him, again, looking up with those dreadfully hopeful, expectant eyes. The tail wagged despite its previous anxiety.

The headmaster expected him to tag along this?

Snape grumbled a few choice words that would have been inappropriate for Potter’s ears especially in his ‘young’ state. “To the hospital wing, Potter, your favorite place to skip classes.” the man muttered disdainfully. He picked up the fawn by the middle and placed him under one arm where the fawn was at ease to enjoy his trip rather than stumble on his legs.

“If you make so much as a peep, Potter, Merlin help you…” Snape hissed to the fawn as he walked briskly to the hospital wing, stopping at each corner to look both ways in case other staff members were still searching or worse…students who would be eyewitnesses to this. They’d never live it down.

Potter had the brains to keep silent. Deer brains must be larger than Potter brains, Snape concluded. But the tiny, vulnerable creature insisted on curling—actually, snuggling in the crook of his arm and against his rib cage. The man was most certainly sure he did not sign up for this. He did not agree to take on this along with the different tasks of his adulthood. Saving Potter’s skin: yes. Teaching dunderheads: attempting to. Spying: yes. Babysitting: NO!

This was completely absurd! And all thanks to Potter. As usual.

“STOP this infernal tail wagging at once, Potter!”

Seriously, he shouldn’t have to deal with the boy—fawn!—at this ungodly hour. He’d hand the sickening creature over to Pomphrey. Then he’d most likely end up under the more appropriate watch of the Gryffindor Head of House. There, that would suit this dilemma better. …if the boy (in a fawn’s body) kept looking at him with those unutterably tooth-rotting eyes, he was going to drop the fawn off a moving staircase.

Snape stopped in front of the doors to the hospital wing. …he knew for a fact that Collin Creevey was currently taking residence in one of the hospital beds. Someone had messed with his camera and before anyone knew it, the Creevey boy was sporting the eyepiece of his camera as though it were cemented onto his skin. It didn’t help that he had run into the dungeon wall (which is why Snape was so informed on the matter) and was now healing from a nasty concussion.

Snape looked down both ends of the hall…no one was likely to come into the corridor any time soon. The teachers were elsewhere and supposedly all students in their bed. Usually Snape would have had the suspicion that Potter would be out and about under his invisibility cloak…if he weren’t currently tucked under his arm.

“Things are always complicated with you, Potter.” The man murmured as he continued to observe the matron fussing with Creevey’s head bandage. Through the tiny door window, Snape could observe that the boy was barely awake. But best not take any chance of Potter’s condition getting spread like a forest fire.

The little fawn was placed unsteadily on his feet and finally found good footing after adjusting his hooves. Snape had to keep the animal steady until it had found its center of gravity frowning all the while. The man could not have been more humiliated with the situation unless spectators were present.

“Potter, you are to wait out here. Stay.” Snape ordered with a severe glare. Harry merely blinked at him. “Do. Not. Move.” That wouldn’t be too hard for Potter…he could barely put one foot in front of the other.

It had been a wonder that the fawn had followed him unassisted all the way to the castle. The thing had ambition.

‘A Slytherin trait in a fawn’s body. Terrific.’

Snape easily positioned the fawn out of the door’s way where he wouldn’t be a nuisance. Or not more so than he already was.

The Potions Master was now prepared to make a swift, billowy entrance towards Madam Pomphrey when Snape felt movement scurrying between his robes. He was forced to shut the hospital doors as he scowled at the fawn who was eagerly watching the man.

“Potter, I said no! You are to stay here.” Snape hissed as he nudged the fawn back against the wall with his knee.

When he reached for the door handle the defiant creature placed itself at his side ready to follow him once again. Snape groaned in frustration. Quickly he settled the fawn as far from the door as possible and was forced to dash for the door.

The man entered the hospital wing in a bit of disarray but as the door closed; Snape saw the little fawn frantically trying to stumble his way toward him with little progress.

Now, to get Madam Pomphrey to set up a secluded area for Potter’s ‘checkup’…

“Severus? Do you need something?” the woman asked as she laid out an extra blanket on top of the Creevey boy. “Any news on Potter?”

Snape nodded with a frown. “Unfortunately, yes,”

“Oh! He’s been found? Is he hurt?”

“We shall need a curtained off area of the wing for Mr. Potter to be assessed.”

“Is his condition that severe? Where is he now—” Scrath. Sc-Scratch. “What in Merlin’s name is that noise?”

The two adults both turned towards the hospital doors, Snape’s brow furrowing deeply.

“It’s probably that menace poltergeist,” Snape said quickly. The little creature was unrelenting! …it would not help if the fawn suffered from separation anxiety. And to be so dependant on him! It was preposterous! “Now, his condition must be kept to as few as possible. The headmaster sent for some Order memb—”

Scratch. Scratch.

Then the crying started. It was the same, sorrowful bleating Snape had heard the fawn cry in the forest.

“Severus, is there an animal out there? Surely that isn’t Argus’s cat!” Madam Pomphrey exclaimed. “Severus, what is the meaning of this?”

“Has Mr. Creevey been given a helping of dreamless sleep?”

“Yes—”

“One moment.” And then he turned swiftly on his feel and retreated back to the doors where he opened one slightly to allow someone in.

Snape glared through narrow eyes at the impossibly happy fawn that stood on wobbly legs to greet him. As soon as Snape appeared at the door, the fawn felt elation swell within him and his crying stopped.

“I only left you for five minutes!” But the fawn continued to wag his tail anyway.

Sighing, he let the fawn through the door.

“Severus Snape, my hospital wing is not a barnyard!” Pomphrey admonished as the little fawn jumped at her tone.

Snape felt the little creature throw its weight against his leg in an attempt to hide behind his black robes. The man began to worry as he could feel that the small animal’s trembling was more pronounced than he would have liked. Something was wrong with the fawn.

“This is Potter.” Snape said as if the statement was apparent enough.

The man lifted the trembling fawn into his arms where the creature stilled its quivering slightly. He was holding the blasted animal so it wouldn’t attempt to burrow in his robes again. He was not holding the animal to comfort it.

But the little fawn tried to hide his face in Snape’s arms when he noticed the finicky matron walking towards them.

Deer snot...deer snot on his sleeves...Snape swore he'd give the little cretin detention for the rest of his life!