Go the Distance

Chapter 3

It's too late for all that now! Bloody Gryffindors! The Live view into the world of the living, through the eyes of his wraith, going on just above his head. Memories pounding at him like ancient drums, relentlessly, hammering, pushing to get in. His shields? Where were his shields? More and more, the walls of the surrounding darkness pulsed. Dizziness, nausea, pain creeping in. Old traumas, beyond the physical and the intellection, clawed at him. 

Another tug. What was happening? My healing spell, air rushing in, a potion, he could taste a potion. Blood replenisher! A sudden flash, a memory rocked his brain,

The Shrieking Shack, the serpentine Dark Lord hissed and slithered around him, ranting, the vile breath assaulted his senses. The merciless attack. The snake, Nagini, stabbing at his throat, fangs penetrating flesh, ripping, then stabbing again, ripping, stabbing, over and over. The pain. The blood. Confusion. Fear. Rustling beside him. Potter, the boy. Memories. Lily?  Her eyes. Shock. Then stillness. The cold creeping into his bones. Trembling hand reaching into his pocket, his fingers desperately seeking her photograph he carried there. Thinking of the cave he had prepared for his recovery...or his death. The pull of a portkey. The whirl, the nausea, the landing on the soft bows of evergreen. Too weak to fight anymore. Too tired. He deserved death. It was right. One last effort, pulling the woven blanket, sweetly scented, over himself. He crossed his arms and closed his eyes. 'Come, Death. I am ready.'

He was meant to die. He needed to die. It is a debt he owed, a debt to be paid in full. A life for a life. The final payment.  To go back now would only prolong his misery, his pain, his debt. For what?

Why won't they let him die? 

~~*>*~~

The panther stood snarling,

"Minerva, STOP! I was not meant to survive."

The wizened woman who had known hardship and heartbreak of her own in her time, looked first at the great cat then back to Severus,

"Is that what Albus told you? Codswallop! He always was a manipulative auld sod. All right then. Why the dittany, chamomile, the rest? I'm no Potions Master but those are healing plants, are they not?"

The response was swift,

"The fragrance is calming."

The panther passed behind her, like a shadow in the glowing light. After a few moments the deep, dark voice behind her rumbled,

"Minerva, let. me. die."

McGonagall was a Scot and as stubborn as they came,

"Nae! That isn't going to happen, young man!"

The dark wraith positioned its muzzle next to her ear. A low frightful growl made her blood run cold,

"YES!"

The witch refused to be unnerved by a spirit, even a large, black, terrifying one with Severus' thrumming bass-baritone at its most intimidating, 

"No."

In an attempt to quell her nerves she ran her wand over his body. The diagnostics appeared again above his still dark form,

"Slight improvement, very slight. Do you know the sequence of follow-up dosages, Miss Granger?"

Hermione recited,

"I remember reading, the blood replenisher is required three to four times a day. Depending on the severity of the blood loss, dosing should continue until all blood levels have returned to normal."