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UnBroken	By : OddDoll Category: Harry Potter AU/AR > Het - Male/Female Views: 6174 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 37
- 38
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Unbroken
By Odd Doll
Chapter 38
It took four hours to travel a quarter mile, Ginny casting paint at rocks and Frank Kelly slowly navigating the boat around and between them. Severus wished he knew what the glowing symbols on the rocks meant, but no one aboard knew the Sidhe language.
He had checked on Phoebe shortly after she disappeared below decks, but she had wanted to be alone. For the last few hours he had talked with Bill.
"You've been very silent about your plans to break this curse," Severus said to him after several hours.
Bill looked down at the papers and books spread out on the table before him, and said quietly, "Don't tell the others, but whoever crafted this curse, and I think it was Dumbledore, made a sorry job of it."
"How do you mean?"
"A curse is a curse, and they work best if the intentions are nasty. Dumbledore worked into it so many fail-safes, like the three fairies in Sleeping Beauty, that I can't predict what it actually did. Dumbledore might be still here because he's still trying to break the damn thing."
"But he had instructions for breaking it."
"Worthless. I've spent the last ten days writing my own. And a backup in case that doesn't work. And two more."
"And you're just now telling me?" Severus said, his voice rising.
"I kept hoping for better news."
"What's wrong?" Phoebe asked as she entered the galley.
Severus glared at Bill. "Wonder Boy here has neglected to mention that he doesn't know if he can break the curse."
"I probably can, but I want you to know that it won't be easy. The best solution I can come up with requires two people working together."
"Now you tell us," Severus said.
Phoebe placed a hand on his shoulder, and said gently, "Who do you want working at your side?"
Bill folded his arms. "Uh, I should also mention that the other reason Dumbledore might not have come back is that it's incredibly dangerous. I need someone smart and competent, but not vital to the cause."
"I will do it," Severus said.
"No, Severus. We need you too much," Phoebe said. "I can memorize things. I'll do it."
"No! I won't allow it."
"Severus, you do not allow or prohibit me from doing anything."
He crossed his arms and scowled. Bill watched this avidly, and despite the seriousness of the moment, a glint of humor shone in his eyes.
"Bill, could you leave us for a moment?" Phoebe said.
Bill seemed eager to get out of their way, bouncing to his feet and exiting the cabin in seconds.
Phoebe sat in the chair nearest him. "I'm my own woman, Severus. Weak, yes. Anxious, yes even more, but I got this far by acting as if those problems didn't exist. I will not bow down now when the stakes are so high."
Knowing it was selfish, he said, "Even for me? I've already lost one woman to this war. Do you know what it would do to me to lose another?"
"You would crawl inside yourself and return to the angry, bitter misanthrope the kids seem to know."
Anger burned at his veins now, and he wished he could lock her up somewhere until it was all over, but she would never forgive him for that. "Fine," he said ungraciously. "I'll do it."
"No," Hermione said from the doorway. "Phoebe's right. You're too important. You know too much about Voldemort and how he thinks and works. If we get out of here, we'll need you. I'll do it. I'm the best witch of my age. And I'm expendable."
"Oh, Hermione," Phoebe said, rising from her chair, "your friends need you. But...you would be the best choice."
"You and the professor should prepare as backups, just in case."
Ginny ran into the room just then. "We're through the rocks."
*****
The small dock housed a single boat, the Wicked Mary Jane, a sun-bleached wizarding craft that had clearly rested there for some time. Frank Kelly proclaimed it to be sound, and quick search discovered Dumbledore's notes about how to sail it. After a short, heated discussion they dismissed their captain and his crew, wanting to keep the Muggles out of danger as much as possible.
"I don't know why you insisted on the Muggle crew, anyway," Severus said as he stood by Phoebe's side on the narrow wooden dock.
"I can't believe you're bringing that up again. I didn't know how long we would be on the water, and the wizarding craft I found were too small for a prolonged trip. Getting home will be much easier. I wonder..." She raised her wand and Apparated to the end of the dock and back.
"We might even be able to Apparate home. That might come in handy."
"If it becomes necessary, we'll probably be in trouble."
"I wonder if the kids can Apparate. They've missed several years of schooling."
"We can," Ginny said. "My dad taught us."
"Good," Severus said.
They all remained on the dock and watched as their lifeline to the rest of the world backed out into the bay, turned, and safely sailed through the place the rocks had been less than a half hour before.
"Scary," Ron said.
"They are powerful," Severus said, his tone pedantic, "but don't discount wizarding magic. We can do much if we work together. Let's go."
They each raised their packs, loaded now with the remains of the food and bottled water, and walked to the end of the dock to the edge of what seemed a small fishing village. To either side, coniferous trees hugged cliffs and a rocky coastline.
"It has the feel of someplace much farther north," Phoebe commented.
"We could be, for all we know," Hermione said. "Where is everybody?"
An eerie quiet greeted them as the started up the hilly street to the center of the village. Bill went to the nearest home and knocked on the door, but no one answered.
"Look," he said. In an adjoining courtyard, sun-bleached fishing nets draped over a drying rack. Dust and dirt had settled over them all.
Out of the corner of her eye Phoebe saw movement. A young deer stood in the space where the courtyard opened onto the next street. It watched them with more curiosity than fear.
"It must have never seen people," Hermione said. "I wonder if it's been about two years. What do you think?"
"I think we best get moving," Phoebe said.
"Stay out of the homes," Severus said.
They followed the center street to the edge of the village.
"It's good to be off that boat," Phoebe said, thankful for the exercise. The doubts had already begun to crowd her mind. The vacant village did not bode well for their quest. Whatever had led the Sidhe to abandon their homes could possibly put them all in peril.
"It's early still, but I don't know when night will fall in this place," Severus said. "If we go on, we'll need gear to camp for the night, just in case."
Being unprepared pushed all the wrong buttons for Phoebe. "I didn't plan for this," she whispered.
Severus took her elbow. "Hold on, Phoebe. We can manage." But her eyes had already begun to get the vacant look that preceded a panic attack. He glanced at the others, seeing that they were the center of their attention. "Phoebe, hold on," he said again, but it was too late. He let his bag drop, and used both hands to guide her to the ground, where she huddled with her arms clasped around her knees. All he could do know is hold her shivering body and whisper soothing things in her ear.
Ginny knelt in front of them. "What's wrong? Is she sick?"
"Panic attack," Severus said bluntly. There was no use in trying to hide it. "You're safe, Phoebe. Everyone's safe."
"How often does this happen and how long does it last?" Hermione asked, getting to the heart of the matter.
"The last one was several days ago." And a week before that. Phoebe had told him that if the disease escalated, attacks would become more frequent. "She'll be like this for about thirty minutes, then groggy and tired for about four hours." He glanced at the sky. "We should look for shelter. I don't think we're going anywhere today."
Bill bent down to look more closely at her. "Should we move her inside?"
"Not now. She's in terrible pain. We'll only move her if absolutely necessary." He turned to Phoebe again. "I'm taking care of you," he said softly. "You'll be safe until this is over."
He looked up to see the others staring at him as much as at her. When he snarled, "Don't just stand there like gormless idiots, go find shelter," they actually seemed relieved.
*****
A commotion woke Phoebe several hours later. For a moment she blinked, groggy and confused from being startled out of a deep sleep, but then she heard the shouts from the next room and turned to find herself facing an arrow pointed directly at her heart. Wielding it was a handsome youth with caramel skin and ink-black hair. Even in the dim lamplight, she could see the frayed edges of his clothing and the dust on his boots. Still, the buckle on his belt gleamed like solid gold and the threads of the crest on his right chest were tarnished silver.
"Hello?" she said.
"Can you rise?" he said in a soft tenor with a musical lilt. If anything, it sounded like the West Indies, rich and slow. "I saw you fall in the road."
She nodded and carefully sat up on the edge of the bed. The young man seemed no immediate threat, and the attack left her dull and numb, so rather than panic more, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and yawned. The irony of the aftermath of a panic attack was that for a few hours she wouldn't be able to muster up enough feeling to be scared of anything.
"Are you unwell?"
She didn't want to betray any weakness to a man with an arrow still pointed at her chest, so she said simply, "I'm fine."
He backed away as she stood and motioned with the arrow toward the door. "Into the next room, please."
She reached for her wand where it rested on a bedside table and almost before her hand moved it appeared clutched in the man's fist, a faint glow wrapped around it. He had used the barest amount of Sidhe magic to summon it to him. He gave her a brief, charming grin, and said, "Please, we are waiting for you."
She yawned again. "Couldn't you have let me sleep a little longer?"
"No. You are the heart of your little group. We couldn't begin without you."
"Begin what?" she asked, but she obediently moved through the door into a hallway that she followed toward the light at one end, sock feet padding on the floor. She had been too disoriented when Severus first led her into the Sidhe home they had chosen, but now she saw floors of smooth, honey wood, and white-washed walls. Paintings still hung in their frames, but here and there were empty spaces, as if one had been taken. It could have been any older Muggle home.
In the main room of the house, three more Sidhe, a man and two women, held the others at arrow point. The man had five wands poking from a pocket on his tunic. All three were beautiful in different ways, the man golden blond and fair, the two women darker, but none as stunning as the one who had woken her. He seemed much younger than the others, but he lowered his bow and positioned himself at their center as if he were the leader. In the brighter light, he seemed less human, with eyes a little too slanted, a little too large; elongated ears with a hint of a point at the tips; and long, willowy limbs. His oddity did nothing to detract from his beauty. He seemed older, too, but it was difficult to gauge Sidhe ages. From what Phoebe had read in Severus's books, the young man could easily be three-hundred years old, and still a youth to them.
She went to Severus's side, where he stood with the others backed up against a hutch in the corner of the room. Like the walls, the hutch had been partially emptied of dishes, but not completely, as if those who left did so hurriedly and only took essential things.
Severus looked at her with concern, but only squeezed her hand when she briefly took his.
"They were watching us in the road," she said softly.
He nodded.
"I am Yew," the youth said. "Prince of the Avalon Sidhe. Why do you trespass on my lands?"
"Shit," Bill whispered.
They had no acknowledged leader, but all eyes turned to Severus and Phoebe. He nodded at her. "You're better at this kind of thing."
She stood up straighter, trying to shake off the dregs of her panic-induced sleep. "We are looking for two of our people that we believe are on this island. Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore."
"Why?"
She wondered how much to reveal. Severus had said that the Sidhe were well aware of the war. "They are vital to our fight against a wizard who calls himself Lord Voldemort."
A subtle glow appeared around Yew. Phoebe's head felt like it had expanded to twice its normal size, and the walls of her mind had grown transparent. She felt Yew's presence just at the edges of her consciousness, wrapping around her but not entering. Several of the others gasped, but Severus only stilled. The prince's attention turned to him.
"You have very good walls," he said. "You've repaired them, but they were once shattered."
"Yes," Severus said simply. Phoebe turned to share a glance with him. He hadn't been lying about the Dark Lord breaking his mind. Something inside her turned over at this thought. She felt a twinge of shame at how she had rejected him, but had to stow the feeling away for later.
The prince turned his attention back to Phoebe. "Are you prepared to risk your life to find them?"
"Yes. They're important."
"Do you mean them harm?"
"No. We're here to rescue them, if need be."
The gentle presence receded. The prince waved a hand and the others lowered their bows. "It is needed."
"Why?" Severus and Hermione both said. "What happened," Severus continued. "Why is this village abandoned?"
"I will explain everything, but first you obviously need food and rest. And baths."
"First we will need your assurance that your hospitality comes with no obligations," Severus said bluntly. "That we are free to leave when we choose, and that we are safe from harm."
Yew smiled. "Of course. We are as interested in your quest as you are. You are our guests with no obligations and you are safe from harm. However, I must request that you not leave until you've rescued your friends."
"Then they need rescuing," Phoebe said.
"Yes, along with many others. Your kind has brought disaster to my people. I would have you repair it before you leave."
"What if we've exhausted every method we know and still fail?" Hermione asked shrewdly.
"Child, I've exercised good manners until now, but I could rip open the walls of your mind if I chose. Except for him," he nodded toward Severus, "you are all pathetically unprotected. I will make you our slaves for as many years as my kin are caught in your insidious spell."
Suddenly he wasn't quite so pretty, and Phoebe noticed for the first time the subtle points of his eye teeth.
Phoebe and Severus turned toward each other, heads together. "What do you think?" Phoebe whispered.
"That we don't have much choice. I don't like it, but something is going on that we don't understand."
"He's clearly interested in our success."
"Yes, I think so."
Phoebe turned to Yew. "Will you aid us in our quest?"
"In every way," Yew said with a nod.
"Without incurring obligation," Hermione said.
"Without obligation. If you succeed, however, I must warn you that I cannot speak for my mother, Titania." The pointed teeth appeared briefly as he smiled. "She might wake up a trifle angry."
"She's asleep?" Phoebe asked.
"Everyone's asleep. Now, come, there is a better place for you to bathe."
*****
Worried and subdued, no one enjoyed the hot baths. The public bathhouse had no segregated rooms, so the women went first. They spoke quietly, turning over Yew's words and coming to the conclusion that something must have gone terribly wrong with Albus Dumbledore's spell. Yew confirmed this during dinner at the big dining table in the house they had taken over.
"We left Harry Potter with Arthur and the other sleepers in a mausoleum beneath the palace, and quite forgot about him," Yew explained over a meal of roasted game and garden vegetables. "Imagine Albus Dumbledore's dismay when we led him back to it months later, and found that the spell had grown to the size of the entire room and part of the surrounding ones. Dumbledore said the sleeping curse gobbled Sidhe magic like a child taking candy. Our attempt to aid him in breaking the curse only made it worse. It expanded to encompass most of the palace, and by time an hour had passed, everyone within it lay sleeping. I was fortunate enough to be out on the water when it happened."
"Have you been in the city?" Severus asked.
"Briefly. One can enter the city and leave again within an hour with no ill effects, even if the drowsiness begins, but once you've fallen asleep, there is no waking."
All eyes turned to Bill. "It's not a huge surprise," he said. "That curse was a jerry-rigged mish-mash of curse, fail-safes, and protections that had so many layers, it could be practically sentient."
"Dumbledore could never resist meddling with things he oughtn't," Severus said.
"But can you break it?" Ron asked.
"I won't know for certain until I get to the center and see the amulet he tied it to." He turned to Yew. "You have an hour?"
"Approximately."
"How far from the edge of the curse to the mausoleum?"
"Twenty minutes walk."
"The palace is that big?" Hermione asked.
"Every attempt we made to break it only fed the curse until it was large enough to feed off our everyday magic in the free neighborhoods surrounding it. Most had time to flee and went to other places. When it covered most of the city, those who remained decided to evacuate the island completely. My soldiers and I are only here to keep an eye on things."
"That means you can't really help us," Bill said. "And one hour at a time." Bill put down his fork and leaned back in his chair. "That's cutting it pretty fine."
"Forty minutes," Hermione said. "And really twenty if we're going to get out of the city in time."
"You can Apparate there and back if you've seen it once," Phoebe said. "I tried it. We can do it here." She turned to Yew. "Can you take us there?"
"In the morning. Be ready at dawn," Yew said.
*****
No one entirely trusted Yew and his soldiers, and having rested after her panic attack, Phoebe took the first watch. She spent the time studying Bill's notes with an intensity she hadn't exercised since college. By the time Bill came to relieve her, she had memorized the first two and had a fair understanding of the third.
"How is Severus?" she asked Bill. They shared a room.
"Out cold. He seemed really exhausted when he went off to bed."
"He's still healing." She glanced uncertainly toward the hallway that led to the bedrooms. "The instructions at the end of each spell say to chant until the curse breaks. How long is that?"
"With a spell this powerful, it could be hours. We may have to relieve each other."
"What if all four of us worked together?"
"I've thought of that. We'll know more when I get a look at the amulet." He smiled gently, blue eyes gleaming in the lamplight. "Go to bed. I won't be in there the rest of the night, you can share with the professor if you want."
At that moment she wanted nothing more. Still uncertain about their future, about the heartbreak she would have to endure when they eventually parted, she almost went to her own bed instead, but she had decided the moment she heard that Lord Voldemort had broken him. She loved Severus. Even though it would crack her heart in half if she ever were able to return to California, she wouldn't miss out on the moments they could have now.
The sound of her shoe hitting the wood floor had Severus up and pointing his wand at her. Out cold, my foot, she thought.
"Relax, it's just me."
"What's wrong? Lumos."
He caught her in the middle of raising her shirt over her head.
"I'm tired and I want to spend the rest of the night with the man I love. That's what's wrong."
The light abruptly went out. Phoebe snickered.
"Lumos," he said softly, and the light revealed his face, intent, serious. He had sat up at the edge of the bed, still wearing most of his clothes. She stepped between his knees to cradle his cheek against her breast. His arms went around her waist.
"I listened, Severus. We belong together. It will end, maybe sadly, maybe tragically, but all things end. I don't want to miss out on any of it because I'm afraid."
He looked up into her face. "There's one thing I want."
"What?"
"I know you're right, but let's never speak of it. We'll live like we have forever."
"You mean bicker and fight?"
"And kiss and make up."
She smiled down at him. "Alright," she agreed, but she knew that for her part she would live like each day was their last.
His hands slid up her back, nimble fingers tugging at the hooks of her bra. "We have some catching up to do. It's been almost three weeks." Then he kissed her and they didn't speak for quite some time.
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UnBroken