Once in the hospital wing, Snape was met by quite possibly the most frightening woman he'd ever seen. As skinny as a scarecrow, she was and with a stern, hatchet face that would give a child nightmares. She was a bony thing and Snape's mind observed that it was quite possible that her starched uniform was the only thing holding her together. This was Madam Aisling. The medi-witch could see there was trouble immediately. She grabbed a black bag and led Snape to the entrance of the maze as soon as he relayed the headmistress's message.

Just as they arrived, Draco and Lyrica were outside the maze. Draco cringed as soon as he saw the fearsome looking medi-witch, but a single smile, filled with warmth and concern for his health, amazingly softened the woman's features. Waving her wand over the pale haired boy, she quickly diagnosed him.

"Nothing that a good dinner and a solid night's sleep won't cure," Madam Aisling declared as she administered a pepper-up potion and conjured a warm blanket to put round his shoulders.

Draco was marched back to Hogwarts and as he walked between his potions instructor and the headmistress, he got the sinking feeling that he wasn't free from trouble. No one spoke, but as Draco knew all too well, silence from Snape only meant something far worse than the imagination could create.

"Wait here, Mr. Malfoy," Snape ordered gruffly as he escorted Lyrica to her office entrance. His voice was low and he did his best to remove the anger and upset from it. "Lyrica, I want to extend an apology for this afternoon. I did not intend to offend you. I'd also like to thank you for your help in locating Mr. Malfoy."

She smiled and briefly lowered her gaze. When she spoke, her green eyes settled on his. "I should not have taken offense so easily. You are welcome, for everything." Very lightly she placed her hand upon his. "Please don't be too harsh on Draco, Severus," she said quietly.

"I shall... endeavor to be fair," he said with a slight smile. He turned his hand so that her fingers now rested in his palm. He sqeezed, gently, and then let go. Speaking loud enough for Draco to hear, he spoke, "However, I must impress upon all of them that this cannot happen again."

She sighed, understanding but feeling sympathy for Draco and for the other three. She could clearly see the anger and the worry in Snape's eyes and knew he would not confuse the two. Lyrica turned but was stopped by a tentative touch upon her arm. She stared a moment at Snape's hand and then into his eyes. In that brief pause, she was unaware of his silent casting of Legilimens. He was quick, however, and with a slow blink he broke the contact. Very gently he squeezed her arm. "Thank you," he said softly. He then turned with a quick billowing swirl of robes. Touching Draco's shoulder he nudged the boy ahead of himself. Lyrica watched as they disappeared at the end of the corridor before disappearing into her office.

Up in the guest wing of Gryffindor tower, Snape rapped sharply upon the doors to Hermione, Ron and Harry's rooms. At some point in the march to the guest wing, Snape had grasped Draco by his collar so he'd keep up. He'd finally let go of Malfoy as the other three emerged from their rooms. Malfoy straightened his robes with a look of disgust upon his face.

"Attend my words carefully," he said so darkly that Draco practically jumped beside Hermione and all four of them moved closer together for protection. "I will not be repeating this again. Until we discover whether or not we can return to our time, all four of you will remain together as though you were attached by the hip. I do not care if you do not like each other. I do not care about the bloody Gryffindor/Slytherin house rivalry. We cannot get out of this situation unless we work, civilly, as one. From now on, you take your meals together as you will also take your breaks together. If you," and here he eyed Harry and Draco, "get into an argument, then I expect you to work it out. If you are unable to resolve the matter, then come to me and I promise... I promise you I will put an end to it." He swept his scowl across them all. Draco suddenly slipped his hand into Hermione's and she gripped it tightly. "Now. Have I made myself perfectly clear?" They all nodded, eyes wide. "Speak up!" He snapped.

"Yes sir!"

"Good." Suddenly he smiled thinly. "I want an essay, from each of you on what you did wrong today and how you should have acted otherwise. You have until dinner to complete it." Just as he was about to turn dramatically away, Hermione stopped him.

"Sir, how long should the essay be?"

"Two feet, Miss Granger," he snapped and turned away, but not before he caught the three matched pairs of murderous looks from Draco, Harry and Ron aimed at Hermione.