Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Treading a Troubled Track	By : SnapesOnlyOne Category: HP Canon Characters paired with Original Characters > Het - Male/Female Views: 1833 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or make any money from writing these fics.

Chapter List
- 14
- 15
- 16
I lean over Baylor's unconscious form, having managed to move him from the cold floor of the grand foyer and into his bed upstairs. I sit perched on the side of his bed gently wiping blood from his face with a warm wet cloth, his face is sickly pale with all the blood he has lost. I carefully divest him of his clothing and clean him with any spells I know. Baylor had clearly been living in squalor, his pale form thin and caked with dirt and blood. Old wounds have healed poorly, leaving his pale flesh deeply scarred and his body heavily bruised. Upon looking him over I have come to the conclusion that several of his ribs are broken as well as his nose and his jaw is sitting at an awkward angle. I'm certain upon further inspection that his shoulder is dislocated and several of his fingers are more than likely broken. The large bump on his head tells me that he more than likely has a concussion.
I know he needs medical treatment but there is no way they will help him. I immediately get to work resetting broken bones that are visible to me, watching carefully for any sign of shock that may develop, the resetting of bones causing terrible stress on the body. After I have healed his ribs and nose and reset his shoulder, his body begins to tremble fiercely and I pull the heavy wool blankets up over him and charm them to stay warm.
I watch him for a few moments before turning my attention to the chiming clock on the mantel across the room. Eight, Merlin! It's been hours! Severus is probably worried sick. I check Baylor's vitals carefully and scrawl a quick note saying I will be back soon, casting one last worried glance to my brother and warding off the room to intruders and apparate back to The Burrow, landing in our shared room.
Severus stands instantly and clears the distance, wrapping his arms around me. He steps back suddenly, taking in my bloodied appearance and looks up at me, panic evident in his eyes.
"It's not my blood Severus, it's my brother’s, please don't tell them I've seen him, please!"
"Is he alright Morwyn?" He asks, still clearly more worried about me.
"I'm not sure, he's unconscious, more broken bones than I will be able to fix in fewer than several sittings, he’s lost a lot of blood and I think he has a concussion. I can't do this alone Severus, I need help."
"If we both disappear it will raise suspicion Morwyn."
"Is there anyone here that is trustworthy and good at healing spells? I'm going to be going back and forth until he is conscious and well, I have to."
"I understand, just please be careful, take Miss Granger with you, she has held more secrets about her friends than you and I have kept in our entire lives, and she knows her spells and potions well."
"I'll go down and ask her if she will accompany me to get extra clothing from my house? Tell her you don't want me going alone?"
Severus nods quietly before shoving me towards our bathroom. "You should probably change and shower first, you are covered in blood Morwyn. No one will go anywhere with you if you go down like that, I'll go get Ms. Granger," he finishes before stalking off.
I climb under the hot water, resting my back against the wall in exhaustion before grabbing the soap and working it through my hair and then over my body, the hot water easing my aching muscles. My stomach growls as I rinse the suds from my ivory skin and step out, drying myself with a spell and summoning a clean outfit onto my form, the button on my pants now a struggle to button, pulling a little tighter at my waist than I'd like. I step out from the bathroom to find Hermione and Severus talking in hushed tones. They turn to me and I smile wearily.
"I was just explaining to Miss Granger the importance of secrecy on this matter,"
"I won't tell anyone Miss Blanchett, I vow that to you."
"Do not overdo yourself Morwyn, remember that if you are under strain, so is our child"
I nod and link arms with Hermione, feeling the tug at my navel as we apparate back into my brother’s bedroom. I watch as she takes a moment to regain herself before surveying the room, her eyes falling on Baylor.
He lays still, having not moved in the slightest since I left him and I feel my heart drop a bit.
I immediately run down everything I have done and everything that needs to be done before moving to his side and checking his vitals again. His pulse is steady but weak and his body is still cold to the touch. I watch as Hermione sets a broken bone and watches him for reaction. I need potions and I wonder for a minute if there are any elves left between the properties. I snap my fingers and wait a moment. Several elves appear all at once looking happy to see us and not someone else, I send them all off at varying tasks, potions, clothes, towels, blankets and food before turning to Hermione who is giving me a rather disdainful look.
"What is it Hermione?"
"I hate the enslavement of house elves" she answers shaking her head, "it's primeval!"
"First time I've heard someone say that in my lifetime." I smirk and she glares at me.
"How would you like it if you were captured, mistreated and made to do things for someone you have been forced to call your master?" She speaks heatedly as she sets another bone.
I freeze, memories of just that coming to my mind as my eyes water rapidly. Hermione looks over at me when I can’t hold back a sniff and I quickly turn away from her, making myself busy with stoking the fire. “Oh, Mis-Morwyn… I’m- oh, blast. I’ve really stuck my foot in it, haven’t I?”
I swallow back my emotions, and turn to her, smiling slightly as best as I can. "It’s okay Hermione, I know you didn’t mean any harm… just watch what you say,” I hear my voice harden without an initial realization “Of everything that you’ve been through yourself, and we’re the same age I understand, tread lightly Hermione, think before you speak for once.”
When I see she is thoroughly chastised, I turn my attention back to my twin.
Forgetting already the words she said, instead turning my attention to the most important thing in my life at this moment.
I’m about to open my mouth to ask how his injuries are coming along in their healing, when I hear a pop that makes me jump; Hermione and I both jerk in surprise and look over to the disturbance to see a scowling Harry, worry warring with anger. Hermione jumps up from the bed where she’d been seated, “Harry!” and they meet in the middle, he throwing his arms in around her and Severus then arriving with a crack, and scowling dangerously, “For Merlin’s sake, get a room!” Harry turns to Severus and leers, “We are in a bedroom, Professor.” Severus rolls his eyes and Hermione reaches out and slaps Harry’s shoulder and pulls back, returning back to the bed to attend Baylor.
"Just trying to diffuse the tension, wouldn't want Snape to concentrate too much on the fact he may feel like a pedofile being in a bedroom with four eighteen year olds" Harry smirks
"That was out of line considering the fact I am sleeping with him, and seeing as I am not a child… he is not a pedofile!" I snap irritably.
"I was only having you on, you guys need to relax, it's a tense situation, I was just trying to have fun" he shrugs nervously.
"Well if my brother dies while you are having fun, you are going to see a side of me you won't like, it'll make Lucius look like he's your new favorite Teddy bear!" I growl at him, hormones, sleep deprivation and stress making me increasingly irritable.
"Morwyn enough, deal with him. Potter shut up, I brought you here to help, not to stress my witch further."
"Even if he does die, you can just bring him back can't you?" He asks seriously and the room falls silent as they all stare at me.
"I don't think I should right now, I will if I have to, I would do anything to save him; but since the war, I know the risk it poses to me. I think putting myself under that amount of stress at this point would force my body to abort the baby, not a risk I wish to take for the sake of it, Harry..." I whisper sadly, "not a choice I wish to have to make."
The elves pop back; stacking towels in the bathroom, covering the bedside table with potions, blankets on the foot of the bed along with clothes for Baylor and setting several trays of food out on the coffee table by the fire.
I start uncapping the unlabelled potions sniffing them and recapping them, placing them in groups on the top of the table.
"Have you eaten Morwyn?"
I ignore him and continue to sort the potions until he comes up behind me, and reaches out to still my hands with his own. "Morwyn, go eat something, I will sort these out, you need to keep up your strength" he growls and I turn to face him, opening my mouth to protest when he closes his mouth over mine, his tongue slipping past my lips and plundering my mouth as he grazes his fingertips gently over my belly. "Please." he whispers as he pulls back from the kiss and steers me towards the coffee table.
I sit carefully in the plush leather wingback chair and grab a pear from the fruit bowl, eating it as I watch Severus sorting the potions. I watch Hermione as she sets a few more bones before he goes into shakes again. Before I can reach for my wand, Severus has turned and again cast a warming charm on the bed wandlessy. Harry moves to the bathroom with a clean cloth, soaking it in warm water and moving to the bed and carefully continuing the hard task of removing the caked blood away from the wounds on his face and neck.
"Watch it Potter that you don't open any of those gashes, he can't afford to lose anymore blood from the looks of him." He scolds watching Harry stiffen and move more carefully. "Morwyn these blood replenishing potions are fine but these pain potions are too old to safely use. He is going to need stamina potions, pain potions, some essence of dittany and also something to fight infection; some of these wounds are seriously infected." he pauses as he looks over my brother’s chest, the gashes there angry and red. We should wake him to see what the extent of his damages are, but I am unsure how he will react to the current state his body is in and the amount of pain he will be feeling, it will be twenty-four hours until I can have new pain potions brewed, so I leave that choice to you Morwyn as you know him best."
"I think that only I should be present when he wakes, he may well freak out if he sees Harry."
"Are you able to wake him?"
"Never tried it to be honest..."
"Then I will stay as well, they can wait out in the hall, where is his wand?"
I reach under the hem of my shirt pulling out both his wand and mine.
"Give me some credit Severus." I smirk.
"Okay, out you two, wait in the hallway." Severus commands pointing at the door as the two move and shuffle out, closing the door behind them.
I watch as the door closes behind them, the sound in the hall becoming muffled as Hermione shushes Harry from talking. I look up to Severus as he points his wand down at my twin, and even though I know Severus and trust him, I feel myself tense. Severus catches the subtle movement and nods reassurance before a muttered “Enervate.”
Severus puts his arm out in front of my body protectively as Baylor rears up, a scream ripping from his lips before Severus is muttering a mild spell to numb the pain. As Baylor slumps back down into the plush bedding, he writhes on his pain sweat dampened sheets and halts as his gaze meets mine.
I push Severus’ arm away from my body, much against his wishes and sit on the edge of the bed and take my brother’s hand in mine, leaning over him as the tears gather in my eyes. His eyes become even more hooded, “Winnie” his voice cracked, excessive screaming and mostly disused, has his beautifully fluid voice sounding as if he’s eaten glass and gargled with firewhiskey. The tears that had been gathering in my eyes from the his awakening, now spill over, and I can’t help the burst of laughter from me, “Oh, Lorri,” I whisper. I want to gather him in my arms, but I am mindful of his injuries. I turn my head slightly to Severus who is still hovering behind me like a dreaded mother hen and I snap “Where in the fuck are those bloody potions Severus?!” And before he could open his mouth, Hermione chimed in from the hallway “I’m working on those Morwyn!”
I look back down at Baylor, ignoring Severus’ indignant look, Baylor’s eyes look from the door and back to me, cutting briefly over to Severus before settling on my face again. He opens his mouth before he begins to cough dryly and I summon the water over to him, trying to pull him up to help him and can’t, but when Severus reaches out to pull him up, Baylor jerks back before groaning in pain. “Alright, alright. Severus, get back!” I start, warning Severus "he is only trying to help Lorri, he means well."
Baylor shoots me a confused look before turning his gaze to Severus with a reluctant nod. Severus steps forward again slowly and pausing to make sure his aide is welcome. When Baylor nods again, Severus moves forward and carefully helps him up into a reclined position against the plush headboard. He releases him, making sure he is steady before stepping back again. I carefully tip the glass of water to his lips and he drinks quickly, cringing at the pain in his throat before turning his head to tell me he has had enough. Severus moves to the table and uncorks two vials of potion and turning back to Baylor who gives him a distrusting look.
"Blood replenishing potion, you need it." he grumbles clearly irritated at Baylor's stubbornness.
"You can trust him Lorri, I do, I trust him with our lives."
"Why?" He whispers, voice cracking painfully.
"We can talk about that another time, right now I need to know if there is damage we are unaware of, we aren't healers so we will need your help."
Baylor narrows his eyes at Severus before turning his blue eyes back to me and nodding.
We go over his ailments, me losing count and becoming more and more distressed of the pain that my brother has suffered, my first thought going to the idea of my child ever being hurt and I can’t stop my hand from moving to clasp gently over my small belly. Baylor’s eyes follow the route of my hand and settle on my stomach, not leaving the sight. Knowing my brother as I do, his shock is quickly turning to anger as he blinks rapidly while staring blankly at my stomach. I swallow, not from fear, but from the reality that I must tell my brother that his only sister is pregnant. I ask Severus to leave us, and only then does Baylor look up at me. As the door closes, his gaze focuses back onto my slightly swollen midriff, “Tell me it’s not his Winnie, just at least tell me that.”
I glare, “And who exactly would you rather it belong to Lorri?” I hiss as I pinch him slightly, avoiding any further injury.
He scoffs, “Bloody hell Morwyn! He’s old enough to be our father!” His exclamation at the end is followed by him coughing in pain and a chortle from Harry in the hallway, then followed by Severus’ deep muffled voice and Hermione’s higher voice chastising him.
Baylor's eyes shift to the door and back to me.
"Did he-?" He croaks
"No, he has been a gentleman Lorri" I smile gently, showing him the ring on my finger.
Baylor brings his hands up to his face, rubbing his eyes in frustration before hissing at the pain in his broken fingers. He looks down at his bruised hands and back up to me.
"We can only do so much, once we have some pain potion brewed we will fix the rest of your broken bones." I start " I can't stay here Lorri, people will notice we are missing, but I will be coming back at night when everyone is asleep in the house."
He nods sadly and closes his eyes and tips his head back against the headboard.
"I'm going to bring the others in, they are the only people who know where you are, I trust them and I want you to try to as well. Severus, Hermione Granger and....Harry Potter." I finish quietly.
Baylor's eyes shoot open wide and he then stares at me in confusion.
"It's a long story Lorri, and I'll explain it when I have more time." I comment and look at the clock on the mantel. "Please be civil, they're trying to help you… come in guys."
The door opens and Severus comes in followed by Hermione and Harry. I watch as he stares at Harry intensely.
Severus steps up to the bed and holds up two small pieces of parchment, showing then to my brother.
"One for you and one for Morwyn, if you write on yours it will appear on hers and vice versa, if you need anything then one of us will come when we can."
Baylor nods again and hisses in pain looking at me with a pleading gaze.
"There's nothing here for pain that you can take, I'm sorry but you will have to wait until tomorrow."
"I have muggle pain pills in my bag" Hermione whispers pointing to her purse on the floor with a shrug, "it's something at least"
I look to Baylor who is staring at Hermione in disbelief before turning his gaze to me with a raised brow. I shrug and he looks reluctant before wincing again in pain then nodding. Hermione pulls the bottle from her purse and hands it to me. I read over the label and open it, dropping two translucent capsules into my hand and turning them over twice before gently putting them in my brothers mouth and helping him with the water.
"They will take about half an hour to kick in, but they should help a bit..." Hermione whispers looking sheepish.
"We need to go, I was just grabbing clothes. Do you need anything before I go?"
He looks at me in annoyance, tapping his fingers gently on the parchment. Hermione digs in her purse and pulls out a self inking quill and hands it to me, clearly reluctant to step near my brother while he is awake.
He takes the quill in his hand and scrawls 'can you at least fix my bloody jaw? And leave my wand?'
"I'm not going to leave your wand, you're in enough trouble already, but I will fix your jaw." I respond raising my wand. He closes his eyes and leans his head back again.
"Episkey" and there is a sickening crack and he tenses, a roar escaping his mouth before coughing overtakes him again. He squeezes his eyes shut for a moment before opening them and shifts his jaw gingerly.
"What exactly am I in trouble for?" He whispers
"They think you killed Mother and Father" I pause, "did you?"
He snorts and shakes his head.
"You were seen leaving the house the night they were killed."
"The house was attacked, we fought back, we lost... I ran."
"Who attacked you?"
"Yaxley, McNair, Dolohov, Mulciber and Greyback" he responds, his whisper of a voice still cracking.
"They deserved it, but you are heading the blame right now Baylor."
"There's got to be a way to clear him..." Harry comments and Baylor looks at him in surprise. "Your sister saved people I care about, I owe her a debt."
"You can't do anything Potter, he will have to go before the Wizengamot to be cleared."
"Severus no, they will hold him in Azkaban until the trial, he is too weak."
"We will think of something; right now though, we must go."
I ward the room again, giving the elves orders to stay with him at all times and to make sure he isn't found out, and then grabbing my clothes and disappearing with the group back to The Burrow for the day.
By the time we sit down for dinner, I am stressed and exhausted. I sit beside Severus, and tip my head sideways and rest it on Severus' shoulder. He looks at me, clearly unimpressed with my display of affection but quickly realizes that I am a mess. He pulls my chair closer and wraps an arm around my waist, pulling my body tight against his side. I close my eyes and press my face into the curve where his scarred neck meets his shoulder and close my eyes.
"I came across some information that might interest you Kingsley..." Harry starts and gives me us a wink that no one else notices.
"What information is that Harry?" The Minister asks him curiously.
""Yaxley, McNair, Dolohov, Mulciber and Greyback are responsible for the recent attacks as well as the attack on the Blanchett home."
"How do you know this Harry?"
"I won't give my source sir, but I believe it to be true in its entirety."
"This wouldn't be an attempt on your part to clear Miss Blanchett's brother would it?"
"No sir, this is me wanting to see the last of them put away, if it clears him in the process, then so be it."
"So I suppose it still stands that no one here has been in contact with him?"
Eyes turn to me, but I am half asleep on Severus' shoulder.
"I guess we won't know," Severus drawls lazily.
"Since we are talking about her brother, what would it take to get him cleared?"
"He would have to turn himself in and go before the Wizengamot; and until a court appearance is made, he would be held in Azkaban to prevent further trouble."
"Is there any way to set a date beforehand and he could turn himself in on the day of the trial?" Hermione asks curiously.
"I suppose it could be done, the four of you weren't where you said you were today, were you?" The Minister asks with a raised brow, looking towards Severus. "You know that considering you were with them, you could have this held against you?"
Severus stares uninterestedly at him for a moment "I'm certain I have no idea what you are talking about." comes his deep drawl, stirring me more into the conversation.
"Miss Blanchett, if we set a court date for your brother, would he show up? Because if we do this and he doesn't show up, he will have a valid warrant against him."
I blink twice, staring at him for a few moments before answering.
"I'm sorry Minister, I have no idea what we are really speaking of, I may have been half dozed off."
"The Minister is willing to set a date for your brother to appear in court than rather being held in Azkaban until a date is set..." he pauses, "given of course that you can find him and get the date to him." he adds which lets me know that no one has actually confirmed seeing him. "He wishes to know if you believe he would show up?"
"I think he would... given that he wasn't injured beyond the ability to appear in court."
"I will arrange it tomorrow when I am back at the Ministry, in a weeks time, is that fair enough?"
"Could I be so bold as to request two weeks Minister? Just to factor in any unknown circumstances that could prevent him from being there as well as granting me time to track him down?"
"I will set it to two weeks from today, will you accompany him?"
I open my mouth to say yes but Severus speaks first.
"I don't think a court full of dementors is a good place for her in her present condition, if he requires accompaniment, I will go in Morwyn's place."
"When you find him, let him know; January ninth at ten am."
"Can you make it the eighth or the tenth instead? Please? The ninth is Severus' birthday, I can't ask him to sit in court that day."
"Yeah, we wouldn't want to ruin the big five-o for you!" George smirks.
"You mean six-o don't you Georgie?" Fred smirks back.
Lucius snorts from across the table with a smirk on his face.
"If I'm sixty that would make you sixty-five Lucius," Severus glares.
"Wait, you're older Lucy?" George asks looking genuinely shocked.
"Yes, I'm forty-four, which would make Severus thirty-eight?"
Severus nods.
"That's not so bad, only what, twenty years older than her, only old enough to be her father and not her grandfather," Fred laughs.
"My father was sixty-five boys, I had a brother Severus' age"
"So you are one of three?" Hermione asks.
"One of nine, I had eight brothers" I respond yawning.
"That's odd for a pureblood family isn't it? Most are single child families..."
"It's to keep funds in tact, when you start dividing between children, it decreases the funds left in the branches as they break off" Lucius comments seriously. "Why your family had so many, I don't understand."
"Their reasoning was that these single children families were what was wiping out the purebloods, my family didn't need to worry, even dividing finances between nine children, each branch was still good for several generations." I explain casually.
"Yes, I've heard the Blanchett family is top when it comes to finances, you must be pleased to know it is only be divided between two now?"
"I don't care about money to be honest, and I hardly see seven of my brothers dying and leaving their money to be divided, pleasing Mr. Malfoy. Though I didn't like them, I would never wish them dead for my own personal gain."
"I’d not said you had, but it does however mean that your branch is set for a few more generations, unless of course you plan to be bred like a bitch as your mother was."
"I see no problem with a large family, for someone who is so set in maintaining a line... having one child wasn't really a wise choice, Draco almost died in the war Mr. Malfoy, if it hadn't been for Harry then the Malfoy line would be doomed already."
"Is that so?" Lucius asks and looking at Draco who is now paying attention to the conversation at hand.
"Yeah, Crabbe, Goyle and I took on Potter in the Room of Requirement, Crabbe decided to use fiendfyre against him and set the whole place on fire. We climbed to get away from it, and got trapped on a stack of furniture. Crabbe fell into the fire, and... we would have died if Potter hadn't found brooms and come back for us... he didn't have to and took a risk to do so, both him and the Weasel."
"I suppose then, I owe you my thanks." he comments and the room falls silent, staring at him in wait, Lucius looking bored back at the group at large.
"Oh no, that was it, there is no more coming from his mouth" Severus snorts, clearly seeing that Lucius hadn't actually thanked them and knowing he didn't intend to.
I can feel my eyes closing involuntarily and I stand and head for the stairs.
"Dinner was lovely Mrs. Weasley, but I need to lay down... I'm exhausted."
"Not a problem dear, get some rest, you need more than we do, sleep in in the morning and I'll save you some breakfast."
"Thank you Mrs. Weasley, good night everyone."
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Treading a Troubled Track