Potions and grace
Severus was stunned of the sudden turnabout of the village. Suddenly open hostility turned to withdrawn curiosity and hospitality. But he didn't stay outside very long. He wasn't used to be a spectacle in either way, evil bastard or pregnant fairy-creature. He crawled back into his tent followed by Ronja, and to his great surprise: Wolf.
"I don't remember inviting you," he said raising an eyebrow as he settled on the makeshift bed with some discomfort.
"Ronja said it was alright as long as I didn't bother you!" the boy answered with a huge grin on his face. Then his eyes darted downwards and ended on Severus' midsection. The wizard sighed and rolled his eyes as he knew what had to come...
"It's so odd, you look just like a lad.. and still there's a baby inside you!" Wolf breathed and Severus could have sworn the boy's eyes were closing in on his belly.
"Well, he is a lad!" Ronja shot in with her grown up-voice: "He's a fairy-lad!"
"Ooooh." A face of total awe made the boy look like a two year old. "Does fairy-lads have babies where you come from, Severi?"
'SERIOUSLY! I shouldn't sit here quietly listening to this!' Severus moaned internally as he gave the boy a strict look.
"From where I come," he started sarcastically: "Might that be the fairy-land where everybody dances around in pink tutus and bathes in milk?" He suspected the boy would loose all interest in him with that comment. In stead he smiled broader and turned his face towards Ronja.
"He's so weird!! Fairy's are sooo funny!" Ronja on the other hand had read the signs of sarcasm and decreasing patience.
"I think Severi is tired. Why don't you come back later?"
"Sure thing, I'll do that!" Wolf answered and crawled towards the exit.
"Mom's always grumpy when she's expecting too!" he added with a smirk towards Severus Snape who answered him with an intimidating glare. Really! The manners of that boy! A Potter/Weasley-hybrid! But he shouldn't expect less with that big bear of a father. Severus suspected John Little would have been at the shallow end of the gene pool when brains were handed out. He seemed to be the only one not warming up considerably towards Severus since Marion's and Robin's deceleration. There was this loathing in his eyes... Severus didn't like it one bit!
*-*
Thankfully the obnoxious boy didn't return that day and Severus spent the evening and afternoon in peace and solitude without any more intrusions of any kind. Marion had kindly ordered people to leave Severus be as long as he stayed inside the tent. He needed his rest to mend properly and with her watching over him like a fierce lion Severus got what he wanted, peace.
His night was filled with old nightmares as usual, but with Ronja by his side he felt safe the times he woke up during the night. For the first time in over six months he felt somewhat safe and now in the hours just before daybreak he felt it for the first time, the heart beat of the forest. It was a low and steady beat, agent and youthful at the same time, pulsating in his body and in every nerve. He'd never experienced something like this before. Severus closed his eyes and let the beat work through him, felt how his body relaxed and responded to the very essence of life channelling through his soul. It was the forest. The forest was soothing him, comforting him somehow and all Severus had to was to close his eyes and listen. He couldn't understand, but he knew he was welcomed. Sherwood Forest resembled the Forbidden forest indeed!
*-*
Severus stayed by himself this day also. The last thing he needed right now was to remind that boy Wolf how much he fancied fairies! So he stayed inside the tent, and had Ronja pick up the meals as usual. Marion had returned to her mansion last night and Robin and some of his men were apparently on a raid somewhere in the county so Severus figured the less he showed of him self today, the less he would be bothered.
It was around dinnertime and Severus was drowsing off, helped by the gentle beat of the forest when an alarming scream stabbed his heart and sent him fumbling towards the exit. A man rode into the camp, Severus recognised him as Will Scarlet, the obnoxious badmouth. But he paid no attention to the young man, what made his stomach turn in horror was the little bundle in Scarlet's arms. The screams continued as more and more people gathered around the man and recognised what he carried in his arms. It was a little girl. She couldn't be more than two years old and by the looks of her, and Severus couldn't tell if she was alive or dead.
"Where's Tuck?! I promised her parents I'd see to that he'd give their daughter the last oil." His voice was a low and mournful growl and he stepped down from the horse with his light baggage weakly squirming in protest. All the women of the camp ran to him instantly.
"What's happened to her?" they shrieked as they discovered all the blood.
"There's no time!" Will spat and worked his way through the estrogen mob with the badly hurt toddler clutched protectively to his chest.
"Let me see her." His voice was curt and stern, a glimpse of the old Potions Master swam to the surface as Severus Snape stepped in the way of Will Scarlet.
"You?? You've done far enough, thank you!" Will growled and tried to slip past him, but Severus didn't nudge.
"Let me see the child, I might be able to help her!" He reached out towards Will and carefully removed the toddler from his arms. Will scowled but he didn't try to back away with the child.
"I'm watching you!" he snarled as he followed Severus who walked as fast as his feet were able to carry him back to his tent. He didn't want to examine her wounds out in the open. As he walked he barked out orders to Ronja who nodded frantically as she noted his every demand in her mind.
"Get me two small cauldrons, have a fire prepared outside my tent and gather the camp's eldest women, as I will need their help on this!" He swept inside the tent, Will hot on his heals and somewhere nearby he could hear the drowsy voice of friar Tuck mumbling what all the yahoo was about. He'd apparently just been waken from his nap and wasn't pleased. Severus lay the girl carefully down on top of the blankets that made his bed and bled within as he uncovered the bloody rags containing a starved little body barely alive. She was completely covered in wounds and gashes. By the looks of it she had been chewed and spitted out.
"What happened to her, was she attacked by a wolf?" he whispered as a small fist opened and closed weakly, the little hand seemed like the only thing on her body not maimed to the unrecognisable.
"A wolf did this?" Will spat furiously as he watched the withering little figure, more dead than alive. "This is the work of the Sheriff!" If it wasn't for the poor creature barely breathing below his fingers Severus would have run his fist straight through the nearest target.
"How," he breathed and struggled to stay calm while all he wanted to do was to scream at the top of his lungs. He knew why he'd done this to the child. It was because he, Severus Snape, the Sheriff's personal incubator and rape puppet hadn't been returned to his rightful owner.
"He threw her into the pig pen down at the market place to set an example. It's a miracle she even survived. I fished her out from the pen myself after the Sheriff had left. He believed she was dead, we all believed it. But she was alive, but so hurt there's nothing to be done about it. Her parents' only hope for her was that Tuck would give her the last oil, and I intend to keep that promise, Severi!" Dark brown curls, stained red with blood.. a deep gash in her left cheek and on her throat. Half her right ear was missing and the injuries continued down the tiny body like some sick joke.
"That bastard. That god damn son of a bitch!!" Severus was shaking all over. How dared he! How dared the Sheriff let this innocent child pay for a rage aimed towards him!!!
"They're here, the women you asked for." Ronja stuck her head inside the tent.
"Good. I'll be out shortly. Gather Tuck for me, he'll read the girl her last rights while I prepare the potions. That way Scarlet will be both satisfied and will have kept his promise. And he will not have any intentions of why I shouldn't try and save her. By the way.." he added as an after thought: "do you still have the potion I gave you?"
"Yes." Ronja's hand shot down into a pocket and out it came, the little vial he'd given her month's earlier. There was just enough left of the potion to ease the toddler's pain while Severus would prepare some more, together with another emergency potion he'd hopefully be able to brew. It all depended on the old women and their knowledge in herbs and other growths of the forest. Severus wouldn't leave the little one in this state. He could only hope the girl would stay alive long enough for his aid to count.
He parted the tiny lips and gave the child the last contents of the pain-removing potion. A scream without sound rattled through the little body as the drops were swallowed. Severus tucked her in and sat Will to watch over her while he went outside to prepare the only thing that might be able to save her life. Oh.. what he'd give to have wand in his palm and his powers returned! Now Tuck finally made his way to the tent, huffing and puffing as he hurried along behind Ronja. But the wizard didn't have the time to squabble with the friar. He turned towards the old women impatiently awaiting his orders.
Half an hour later eight old women returned with various herbs, weeds, roots and even a toad and some beetles! Severus was surprised to see that everything he'd put on his 'shopping list' had been found, when it normally was to early to find any of it before spring. He got to work. Heart beating frantically while all the eyes of the encampment rested on him as he crouched over the cauldron. The girl was still alive, but Tuck was sure it wouldn't last long. So he had to work fast. That would mean breaking the main rule when it came to brewing potions, NEVER, EVER hurry! First a new batch of pain killer potion. He was so concentrated not even the most piercing stares bothered him as he worked. He refilled the vial and gave it to Ronja who rushed inside the tent, the remaining of the potion was set aside and a new cauldron was set to the fire to heat. The next potion was a specifically hard potion only two, three Potions Master's around the world had the skills to brew, Severus included. The Wolf Bane- potion was a walk in the park compared to this. Add the rush and hurry and Severus had a hard job ahead of him. The Traumaton Potion was lethal if it wasn't prepared right, a dangerous mix of gingerroots, various herbs, a crushed Blackhorn beetle and three and a half crushed Pinkadilly beetles. And the final and most crucial component: Three drops of blood from the heart chamber of a spotted toad. Prepared right the Traumaton Potion would counteract shock and infections, it would help wounds and deep gashes heal and last but not least- it would help the traumatised body produce large amounts of blood if it was suffering from severe blood loss.
He worked in silence, not distracted by anything or anyone, only haunted by the memory of the tiny body awaiting his aid inside the tent. Even the stunned spectators around him kept quiet as a new side of the stranger unfolded before them. Slender fingers worked so fast they had a hard time keeping up with their movements and his face was so etched with concentration all the signs of weakness had vanished, and he looked.. powerful somehow.
When finished the Traumaton Potion would simmer, thick and a vast orange in colour. But he needed to test it on someone! If he'd ruined the potion he would kill the girl if he made her drink it. Severus looked around for a second and for the first time since he started working with the potion traces of panic washed over his face. He couldn't ask any of these standing in front of him to try it. That left him. If it wasn't for the very fact he was pregnant he wouldn't hesitate. But he wouldn't be alone to take the potion now. If he'd screwed up somewhere along the way he would kill the.. he still denied to call it 'baby'.. thing that was using his body. It was a moment of truth for the wizard. He was fully prepared to risk his own life in order to save the girl, but would he risk the life of the unborn? Before he came to a conclusion Will Scarlet appeared in front of the tent. He had a desperate look on his face as he rushed towards Severus.
"If you're going to save the girl you better start working! She don't have much time left!" he growled, but his eyes betrayed him. Will Scarlet was scared. Scared the little hope granted him would be taken from him.
"I have a medicine for her here, but before I can tell if it was made successfully I need someone to test it.. I would do it my self, but I risk killing another.. child in the process..." Before Severus had the time to react Will had leaned forward, snatched the ladle out of Severus' hand and tasted the orange liquid. If Severus had done anything wrong Will would fall dead to the ground the same second the potion touched his tongue.
"Waah! That's plain foul!" Will yelled and spat angrily around. A sigh of relief was to be heard from the wizard as he scooped the ladle out of Scarlet's hands and rushed back to the tent. Ronja was sitting by the toddler, holding her gently in the unharmed hand. Brother Tuck was sitting in the corner, bible in hand, with a grave look on his round face.
"She's so little, so weak!" Ronja whispered as she moved aside so Severus would get to the little girl. There wasn't much life left in her now, she wasn't more than minutes from death. She didn't even protest when the foul tasting fluid was forced down her throat.
"That's a good girl!" Severus soothed as her eyelids fluttered for a moment. He unbuttoned his shirt, picked up the lifeless body and held her to his chest. He reckoned the child was in desperate need of some comfort and warmth, and even though he didn't know the first thing about small children his instincts told him to do so.
"What are you doing? You're disturbing the child's deathbed!" Brother Tuck suddenly felt the need to interfere.
"You're not her father! Lay the child back down, let her die in peace!" The look the wizard shot back made the friar crawl outside as fast as his stubby body would let him. There was no way he would stay inside there together with that.. fairy man or what ever he was. Not when he behaved like that, undressing like some disturbed creature and disturbing a small child's deathbed right in front of him, a man of the church!
"Ronja, go outside and tell the people the girl needs quiet if she's to survive." Severus looked down at the tiny face, and hated himself. This was his fault. The Sheriff had done this to her because of him, and him only. It would be his fault if she died.
He closed his eyes and wished with all his might, but none of his magic powers magically reappeared. Only the steady heartbeat of the forest was there to soothe and aid, and it rushed from Severus' body and over to the little one like a blood transfusion.
*-*
Robin immediately sensed the tension in the camp when he returned from a most successful tax removal from one of the Sheriff's tax- carts. Both Tuck and Will rushed towards him when he jumped off his horse.
"The Millar's daughter! The Sheriff threw her into the pig pens!" Will shouted before Robin got to ask what the hell was going on.
"What?!" Little John who had dismounted right behind Robin was by Will's side in a second.
"Little Anna?? She's only two years old!" Robin could have sworn Little John grew an extra meter.
"I brought her back here, the poor thing was still alive... I promised her parents friar Tuck would give her the last oil.. there was no hope you see.. and then Severi decided he would try and help.."
"with his dark magic!" Tuck interfered.
"All right, Tuck- shut the hell up! Will- is she still alive, where is she?" Robin yelled. There was too much information thrown at him at one time.
"She's inside Severi's tent. We don't know if she's still alive, we haven't heard from him since he chased Tuck outside." Robin drew a deep breath and ran to the tent, with Will, Tuck and Little John hot on his tail. He was met with the most peculiar sight as he crawled inside. There, in the corner, leaning against the canvas, Severi sat, sleeping. In his arms, tucked against his naked chest was Anna, the Millar's daughter. All the blood! Robin moaned and had to crawl back outside where he belched helplessly on Tuck's sandals. How could the child even have survived for minutes with such injuries?? He stopped Little John before he crawled inside.
"You better not, John. It's not a pretty sight.." Robin croaked. The big man hesitated for a moment before he continued. There was a muffled cry before he too crawled outside, but this time Tuck removed his feet in time..
"My Hannah is her age, Robin! It could have been her, Robin it could have been her!" loud sobs worked their way up his throat making the tall and muscled man look like a gigantic five year old.
"I think you should go get your family, Little John. I think all of you who still have family left in the village should go and collect them! The Sheriff obviously show's no mercy any more.." Robin said as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"The bastard won't stop with one little girl, from now on no one is safe!"
*-*
Severus awoke as the shadow of John Little shot out what little light there was inside the tent. He heard how the man croaked and rushed back outside by the sight of the girl. He looked down at her. She wasn't bleeding anymore and her breath was steady. Severus brushed the toddler's hair as a feeling he'd never experienced in his life rushed through him. This little thing was entirely dependent on him to survive. He alone would make the difference if she would live or die. It was a responsibility almost too big to imagine. And it suddenly dawned to him that this was all parenthood was about. Some father he would make..
Robin came back inside as Severus gently lay her down to get her cleaned up. She looked stronger now, somehow and Ronja ran outside immediately, as if she'd read his mind.
"I'll get you some water, Severi, and some bandages."
"Is she still alive??" Robin gasped in disbelief. He came closer and stole another glance of her.
"I.. I think she will make it." Severus' heart jumped in joy when the girl made some sounds and opened her eyes. Big, blue grave eyes looked up at him, measuring him silently.
"Don't worry, little one. I won't harm you!" Severus voice was kind and gentle as cream and a soft smile made his horrible Potions Master from hell- appearance shatter into a million pieces. He stroke her cheek with careful fingers and showed the little girl all the kindness he'd locked deep down in his heart for his whole life. He didn't even mind Robin glaring at him as if he was looking at a maniac. He didn't even worry about his naked chest that was on display for everyone peeping inside the tent to see. The girl slowly lifted her unharmed hand towards him and a tiny hand locked around Severus' little finger.
"That's right I'm not leaving you. You don't have to be afraid, sweetie." And with these words he leaned down and kissed her brow.
Robin was gaping at this new person sitting in front of him. What had happened to the old and foul Severi? The fairy that always had some biting remark and never surrendered? Who was this man offering his heart to this battered little thing? How could he see the beauty beyond those bloody rags and gashes? He who had never seen the beautiful girl when she looked as a toddler should, healthy and bright with a rasped knee as the most severe bruise on her body? How could his face not retort in repulse by the sight of this destroyed human being?
Ronja came back with without a sound as usual, and handed Severi water and a cloth to clean the girl. He went to work with utter most carefulness. Robin couldn't take his eyes from the fairy's gentle hands as they removed the blood and the dirt from Anna's body. There was nothing in those hands resembling the brutal hands of his cousin. Hands that took pleasure in hurting and maiming. These hands, on the other hand, seemed only interested in taking the pain away. And it finally dawned to Robin that the resemblance to the Sheriff lay in Severi's features alone. What was inside this man was the exact opposite of what was lurking inside his more famous cousin. Where the Sheriff destroyed and pillaged, Severi sought to mend the errors of his mirror image. Finally Robin dared let go of his doubts about the man, and he accepted him also in his heart.
Anna was cleaned and bandaged, and all the while she stared openly at the dark-haired man who was soothing her with his voice and careful fingers. She didn't complain with sounds of displeasure or pain, she didn't squirm when her sore skin was covered with bandages, she just lay there silently watching, accepting. When she once more was picked up and held close to this stranger's chest she fell asleep almost immediately, relaxed by the heartbeat of her saviour.
"Sleep little one, rest and grow strong," Severus whispered not even aware of the spectacle he was making of him self.
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