For His Protection

18. Moonlight Walk

Serena was so afraid that all she could do was go with him.  She didn't want to resist in case the man who had her really was Severus and he was under some terrible influence or spell.  She didn't want to risk hurting him.  But one thing was for sure.  This man was not the man she loved.

~ * ~

Sirius paced back and forth down the corridor where the Gryffindor common room was located.  He had kept his eyes peeled for the last half hour, but nothing had looked out of place and to his knowledge, the Fat Lady's portrait had not opened.  He was starting to get a little bored.

He kept his wand in his hand as he walked, secretly hoping he wasn't going to have to use it.  What a time for Dumbledore to be out of the castle!  Suddenly, he heard a noise and whirled around.  Nothing was there.  Frowning and scratching his head, he aimed his wand in the direction it had come from.

Underneath the Invisibility Cloak, Harry, Ron, and Hermione all held their breath.  If Sirius caught them now, it was over.  After several seconds of staring in their direction, Sirius shrugged.

"Must have been hearing things," he mumbled.

Harry resisted the urge not to snicker as he and his friends tiptoed away.

Sirius took to patrolling the corridor again.  With the help of the pocket watch fixed to the velvet vest he was wearing, he kept track of the time.  When it was half past midnight, he figured that Harry had changed his mind or something and he went to find Serena.  It was his plan so he knew exactly where she would be.  He would look for Severus along the way.

He didn't see Severus, and when he got to the third floor corridor he didn't see Serena either.  There was no sign of them.  He stood there, a frown twisting his features.  Where could they have gone?

Sirius wandered down toward the Dungeons.  Severus could have gone down there.  When he reached Severus's quarters, he stopped dead in his tracks.  The door was ajar.

"That's odd," Sirius said to himself.  He reached out and opened the door.

The office looked as it normally did.  Potion ingredients were neat on the shelves and his desk was tidy and organized.  The only thing out of place was a lump of clothing over by Severus's desk.  Sirius frowned.  He hadn't noticed that when he first came in.  It was unlike Severus to leave things lying around in the floor.

Sirius walked over carefully, in case it was something other than just clothes.  The closer he got, the more worried he became.  The black heap in the floor wasn't clothes at all.  It was a person.  He bent down beside of it.  And it wasn't just any person, he discovered as he turned them over.  It was Severus!

"Severus, are you alright?" Sirius asked frantically.  "Severus!"  He took out his wand a performed an awakening spell.  Slowly, Severus's eyes shot open.  He sat upright so fast, Sirius nearly fell backwards.  He repeated his question from before.  "Are you alright?"

Severus looked around the room frantically.  Sirius had no idea what, but something had him spooked.  He had to say his name again to get his attention.  Severus turned to him and his face flooded with relief.

"Sirius, I think I was halluinating.  I had to be."

He frowned.  "What are you talking about?"

Severus took a deep breath.  "Serena came to see me.  S-She attacked me.  I didn't have time to react.  I was so stunned.  She hit me with a stunning spell and I hit my head on the desk.  How long have I been out?"

Sirius shrugged.  "I have no idea.  Did you make it to your post?"

"No.  I'm afraid not."  Severus's eyes widened.  "Don't tell me Harry made it past you."

"I don't think so.  I mean, I never saw him.  I never left the seventh floor."

Relief gushed through.  "Good.  I would have felt really bad then."

Sirius frowned.  None of this made any sense.  Serena wouldn't hurt Severus and he knew it as well as he knew his name.  But this was the second time that Severus was sure Serena had hurt him.  Something wasn't right.  Severus's voice cut through his thoughts.

"Do you happen to know where Serena is now?"

He hadn't thought of that.  He shook his head.  "No.  I went to the third floor, but she wasn't there."

Severus rubbed his head.  When he pulled his hand away, it was red.  "I'm bleeding."

Sirius looked at him, his lips a thin line. "We'll worry about Serena and try to figure out this mess in a little while.  First, I need to get you to Madam Pomfrey so she can take care of that wound."

Severus didn't protest.  Sirius helped him up from the stone floor and steadied him.  "We need to send an owl to Dumbledore.  He needs to know what's going on."

"We don't really know what's going on ourselves."

"That's true," he said with a grunt, "but he still needs to come back.  Maybe he can help us figure it out."

Sirius agreed.  "And we need to let him in on Harry's plan as well.  If anyone can stop the little tyke, it will be Dumbledore."  He guided Severus out of his quarters and toward the stairway.  He didn't say it out loud, but he was worried and nervous.  He had no idea what was happening and he didn't like not knowing.  But most of all, Serena was nowhere to be found.

Was it true?  Had she turned to the dark side?  If she had, and Sirius prayed she hadn't, there had been no indication.  How was he going to explain her disappearance to Harry?  Sirius sighed.  And the biggest question of all...

Where was Serena Dane?