The Potion Mistress & the Half-Blood Prince

Chapter 20: Last of the Wilds, Part 1

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the people or places that belong to the wonderful world of Harry Potter, as they belong to J.K. Rowling. The OC (Katherine) is entirely my own.

Wherever Katherine had transported them, it was dark. Very dark. Severus closed his eyes momentarily to adjust them to the blackness that surrounded him. When he opened them again, he could vaguely make out tall trees and Katherine's form, that was now moving away from him.

"Katherine," Severus whispered hoarsely. Her silhouette stopped moving and twisted back around towards him.

"Come on Sev," Katherine shouted. "Keep up!" She turned again and continued to walk away from him. Severus quickly followed, but the terrain below his feet made it difficult. Vines and ferns littered the earth, causing him to stumble his way after Katherine. Severus growled as he watched Katherine's black form bound through vegetation with ease.

"Katherine," he grumbled. "Where the bloody hell have you apparated us to?" But she didn't respond, as she had suddenly stopped in front of him. Severus finally caught up, and stopped beside her.

Katherine withdrew her wand and silently cast Homenum Revelio over the area around them. After waiting a moment, Katherine stepped forward and a faint light shone down on her.

"We can set up here," Katherine said, still glancing around the vicinity. "I didn't get any registry of a human life form within the area." Severus hesitated before stepping towards Katherine, only to find himself in a clearing.

He looked up to see a waning moon and million of stars shining overhead. Severus watched in silences as Katherine began waving her wand in a series of complex movements.

"Cave Inimicum," Katherine muttered, while waving her wand. "Repello Muggletum, Savlio Hexia." After making a full circle around them, she bent down and took one of the small bags out of her pocket. "Can you give me a hand setting this up?" She looked up at him, with a raised brow.

"Set what up?" Severus sneered towards the tiny pouch.

"The tent, of course," Katherine shook her head, as she began pulling out a large post. "Where did you think we would sleep? In the trees?"

"No, I was think more like...oh I don't know...a house," Severus barked as he snatched the post from her hands.

"Well pardon me," Katherine bit back. "I didn't know you had such high standards, considering we are on the run." Katherine rose quickly from the ground and grabbed the post back.

"It wasn't my choice to go trudging out into the middle of nowhere," Severus growled, as he watched Katherine resumed to digging around in the bag. Reaching her arm in as far as it could go, she caught hold of the canvas before pulling it out of its' confinement.

"You know, we could just sit here and argue the rest of the night," Katherine snarled. "But there are clouds coming in from the southwest. And I, for one, do not wish to get wet." Severus bit back a retort and grudgingly helped Katherine set up camp.

A low rumble to the southwest sounded just as they finished tying down the last stake, and the two headed inside. Severus was surprised to find it a bit larger than what he had expected. There was a small kitchen off to the left of a decent size sitting room, and a moderate size bedroom was on the right.

"Would you like me to stand watch for the rest of the night?" Katherine asked, as she turned to face him. She looked tired, and her right hand unconsciously rubbed the spot that she had clutched onto earlier that evening, after having apparated to headquarters.

"No," Severus sighed. "You go get some sleep, and I'll keep watch till you wake." In truth, Severus felt like he needed some much needed alone time to think about the night's events. He accio'd a chair to him, and set it next to the entrance of the tent.