"Alastor Moody is dead." Severus' gaze dropped to the floor as his tongue silently wet his lips. He nodded. Then his smirked.

"Serves him right," Severus commented after a few moments. "I never expected you to do it."

"Nor did I," Minerva replied. "But I'm sure Albus will have a thing or two to say about it. I can't be sure that I'll be around for the rest of the year."

"Well, if there's anything I can do to help you," Severus began, "I will be more than happy to help. The school needs you as much as any single person. Though, I admit, since I'm on the outs with the Dark Lord, I doubt I'll be able to help you overtly too much. Perhaps with some stealth, skill, and questionable morals, though, I would be able to assist you in some way."

"That's real sweet of you, Severus," Minerva said. Severus snorted at the thought of having the word "sweet" associated with his person in any way. She was emotionally drained. She was about to say something else when there was a light knock on the door.

"These boys will not give me a minute's peace," Severus snarled to himself. Minerva couldn't help the little chuckle that escaped her lips.

"You know, Severus, they are really a couple of wonderful boys. They didn't want to come to get you when I came in." Severus was about to reply when the knock on the door became more persistent.

"There had better be a fire in my lab for this," Severus growled. Severus opened the door and saw Harry, who seemed to be agitated. Severus' manner quickly morphed from one of annoyance to one of slightly softer concern, though he would have been loathe to admit it.

"What now?" he sighed, more out of weariness than irritation.

"Perhaps I should leave now," Minerva offered from somewhere behind him. Severus' shoulders drooped wearily.

"No," he declined. "You wanted to help. Help now. Your student needs you."

"No, it's Draco," Harry corrected quickly. "He didn't want to bother you, but I thought - "

"Fine, fine," Severus cut off, as he stepped past Harry into the more open space of the living area of the chambers. Draco lay curled in on himself on the couch. Severus crouched at Draco's side. He could see a sheen of sweat on the teen's brow. Worry creased his face.

"Draco," Severus murmured as knelt down beside the teen. "Draco, what's wrong?"

"It hurts. Hurts really bad," Draco wheezed out.

"What hurts?" Severus asked patiently, resting a comforting hand on Draco's damp hair.

"Everything," Draco whimpered. "How? Why?" Severus stood up suddenly - perhaps a bit too suddenly, because he felt lightheaded for a moment - and did a 360 out of pure frustration.

"Damn it all!" Severus shouted. "I don't know what to do for them, Minerva! I'm not a healer. I can't help them. Damn it, what am I supposed to do now?" Draco whimpered again, and Harry stepped closer where he sat next to his friend.

"Severus," Minerva admonished.

"I can't help them. I can't fix this," Severus put his hands in his hair grabbing it by the roots.

"They don't want you to fix it, Severus," Minerva said walking towards him, grasping his arms trying to untangle his fingers from his hair. "They just want you with them."

"I can't." His voice was low.

"You can," Minerva's voice matched Severus' as she looked at him. Severus didn't even acknowledged that she said anything. He turned from her and looked over at Draco and saw Harry sitting next to Draco.

"This is all your fault," he snarled.

"No!" Minerva yelled, but Severus wasn't listening. Harry looked up at his Potions Professor and, for the first time in recent memory, Harry was truly afraid of what would happen to him at Snape's hands. Severus came closer to Harry, raising his open palm, ready to strike Harry. The teen curled up in a small ball, the better to protect himself, his arms covering his head, bracing himself for the blow that was imminent. He could feel a sudden rush of cool air surround him. Harry thought it was odd, but wrote it off to Snape bringing his arms down to hit him. He waited blindly for the blow that would never come.

When Harry had gathered enough courage, he slowly moved his arms from his head and looked up. What he saw truly surprised him. Snape was standing in front of him, his hands hanging loosely at his side. Draco looking up at him with the same level of fear that Harry was feeling. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his Head-Of-House pointing her wand at the three of them. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he knew not to question it.

"Severus," Minerva's voice was low, but stern. "I know that you are exhausted. But that gives you no right to take it out on Harry. It is not his fault. Now, you will calm down." Severus' shoulders slumped sadly.

"Take him and leave. I can't..." Severus slowly walked over to his recliner chair and flopped into it. "I don't know what I'm doing anymore." Minerva's heart broke for her colleague. It had been a long time since she had seen Severus so unsure of himself. She walked over to the younger Professor and put her hand on his shoulder.

"You, of all people, know that Potter is safer with you than he is anywhere else. You need to rest."

"I'm not meant to look after children," Severus murmured quietly. "Showing them how to mind their potions isn't the same as directing two of them in how to conduct themselves for their lives. What gives me the ability to do that? The best advice I can give is to not make my mistakes."

"Maybe that's all the advice they need," Minerva whispered back. "That, and a reliable, protective figure to whom they can turn. Get some rest, and get some control over yourself. The boys won't disturb you short of an emergency." Severus simply nodded wordlessly.

Severus looked over at the teens, who in turn were looking at him with great concern. He nodded his apologies to them and got up from the chair and made his way back to his room. A soft click let the others know that he closed the door. Minerva walked over to the boys.

"Alright," Minerva started, her accent showing through more than usual, as was common under stress. "Neither one of you will be leaving these quarters. I know Severus has wards on the door, so please do not try to leave this room." Minerva was looking at Harry for the last part, which she added with extra firmness, also for his benefit. As long as she had known Harry, he would take nightly strolls through the castle when he was worried about something. She knew about them, but was told from the Headmaster to give Harry a little bit of space and allow him to wander, as long as he didn't get into mischief. After everything that had come to light in the past two days, she was wondering how many of those strolls were of his own volition. She was taking out of her musing by a faint 'yes ma'am' from the teens on the couch.

"Okay, let's get some cots for you to sleep on. I trust there will be no problems with you two sleeping in the same room?" Minerva raised her eyebrow at the boys.

"No ma'am," Draco said, as Harry indicated the same.

"Good." Minerva raised her wand and transfigured the chair and coffee table into two cots for the boys and then transfigured the boys clothes they were wearing into pajamas. Draco and Harry looked at each other in mild embarrassment. They didn't need to be dressed like toddlers!

"Good night," Minerva said.

"Good night, Professor," both boys chorused. Minerva walked back towards Severus' room. She lightly knocked on the door before letting herself in the room.

"Oh, what now?" Severus sighed, exasperation flooding his voice. He'd given up even trying to mask it. He turned and saw Minerva. "Good gracious! You could at least wait for me to call out that I'm decent! Have you never heard of privacy?" Minerva laughed. Severus was changed into a pair of navy blue silk pajamas, and had he been better rested already, he would have felt more uncomfortable than he did.

"Severus," Minerva said kindly, "is there anything I can do to help you?"

"If you have time - " Severus began but cut himself off. "Never mind. You're a busy woman." Minerva glared at him. "It would be nice to know if there's anyway to help the boys. I don't understand what's happening to them, and there's nothing I can do to ease their pain. Or my own." Minerva walked over to Severus, put her hand on his elbow and guided him over to the bed.

"Minerva, I am perfectly capable - "

"Severus," she said cutting him off. "You're exhausted. You nearly attacked Harry. You're having phantom pains from the collar." Severus looked at her incredulously. "You don't have a monopoly on the restricted section of the library on dark magic. I know how the collars work." Severus was in such shock and awe at what he was hearing, that he didn't even notice that Minerva had let go of his arm and began to turn down the bed.

"I never expected you to know anything about dark magic," Severus commented quietly. "You always seemed too - "

"Good?" Minerva suggested.

"I suppose," Severus agreed.

"Know thine enemy," Minerva quipped. She guided the potions professor into the bed. "Get some sleep," she said. "You all will feel a lot better when you get some rest."

"But - "

"Trust me now, Severus." Severus climbed into his bed and was unconscious before his head hit the pillow.

When Minerva had put the light out in Severus' room and reentered the living quarters, she found Harry and Draco, asleep on their cots. She smiled wanly at the pair of them. Their beds were shoved close, with just a narrow walkway between them. Just in case of nightmares, Minerva thought. Quietly, she transfigured two extra blankets and laid them over the boys. Then she cast another ward to alert her of anyone coming or going from the chambers. With that peace of mind, she let herself out and went back to her chambers to await whatever fall out would meet her when a dead body was found in the dungeons. She hoped that Severus wouldn't get pinned with the murder.