Stay With Me (sequel to Forever Yours)

13. Missing

"I think it's best we let him rest for a little bit now," Madame Pomfrey told the both of them.  She noticed the tears there in his eyes and the confused expression he now wore on his face.  "He seems distraught."

Dumbledore nodded in agreement.  "I think you're right.  Severus, I'm going to leave now and Lucy is going to come with me.  Is that alright?"

Severus nodded.  He didn't even look at him.  More tears filled his eyes and spilled down his cheeks.  "You...said...you...would...keep...her...safe."

Lucy looked over at him sympathetically as she go down off the bed.  Her whole body was shaking.  This was nearly too much for her.  She had just gotten him back.  Dumbledore frowned at him.

"We've already had this conversation, Severus.  Lily and James put their trust in the wrong person.  I kept her safe for as long as I could."

"I'm sure she's watching over you, Severus," Lucy told him.

He shook his head.  "Just go."

Dumbledore put his hand on Lucy's shoulder and guided her out the door, knowing that him pushing her away would affect her more right now than it would Severus himself.  Once they were outside, he stopped.  Lucy leaned up against the wall and buried her face in her hands.

"Don't keep it bottled up inside, Lucy," Dumbledore told her.  "It will only hurt you more that way."

She glared at him, tears in her eyes.  "I can't believe this is happening!  I just got him back!"

"I know.  It's going to be hard on the both of you.  But you have to try and help him remember everything you can."

"Was it the potion?"

"No.  I don't think so.  The potion only caused the explosion.  The Ministry Aurors are looking for your friend Spike.  Don't worry."

"Don't worry?" Lucy repeated incredulously.  "Spike as good as threatened Severus's life and he was here and look what happened!  He doesn't remember anything!  He doesn't remember nothing we talked about or anything.  It's like he's stuck in­-"

"1980."

She stared at him.  "Yeah."  More tears fell from her eyes.  "They did this on purpose.  Spike and his sister did this so he would be easier to kill.  I have to protect him."

He put his hand comfortingly on her shoulder.  "And you will.  I know you will.  You just have to be patient.  Think of things that will help him trigger memories of the two of you and anything else he might have mentioned to you."

Lucy nodded.  "I could do that."

"Now go take you a little break, Lucy and when you come back up here to visit him later like I know you will, try to stay calm.  Remember that he is just as scared as you probably are."

"Okay."

"I'm going to go talk to Minerva and see what we can do about his classes until he's better.  You go get some rest."

"I will," Lucy said.  She watched Dumbledore walk away.  But she couldn't rest.  She had someone she had to go talk to as well.  "Right after I go pay Brandon a visit," she said to herself.

~ * ~

Lucy made her way down to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom in a hurry.  It was nearly time for his second class of the day to start, so she knew that's where Brandon would be.  Sure enough, when she walked in, he was walking at the front of the class, pacing actually, back and forth.  Lucy walked up toward him and cleared her throat to get his attention.  He looked up at her and his expression froze.