Chapter Four

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and associated characters belong to JKR. All else belongs to me.

Author's Note: This is the sequel to Velvet Song's "Damsels and Dragons", which she allowed me to complete in her stead last year. I want to thank her for encouraging me to write this story and noybate for being my beta. The story is complete, and I am hoping to post a chapter a week, the queue willing.

For those coming to this particular series for the first time, I might recommend you read the first part before continuing on. The first part, written by Velvet Song, may be found on the TPP archive here: http://www.thepetulantpoetess.com/viewstory.php?sid=18337. The second part, written by me, will be found on the TPP archive here: http://www.thepetulantpoetess.com/viewstory.php?sid=19501. This may lead to less confusion later in this story.

Chapter 4

The staff were just sitting down to lunch when Severus billowed into the Great Hall. Hands on hips, he looked straight at Lucius, who motioned him to hurry up to the table as the house-elves were preparing to serve the meal. Glaring at his friend, Severus took his customary seat between Lucius and Hermione. Then, abruptly, he yawned, which started a chain reaction of yawns up and down the table. Once Minerva had finished her yawning and shook her head to clear it, he smirked at them all.

Taking a couple slices of the roasted chicken, he passed the platter to Lucius, asking, "I know I said I would sleep late this morning, but did you have to take me at my word? I have never slept this late that I can remember without my being ill. You could have at least awakened me for breakfast."

"I left your quarters the same time you did, my friend," Lucius answered. Then he smirked at Severus. "At least I was fully dressed when I did. Can't say the same for you."

Severus glared at him. "What the devil are you babbling about, man?" he demanded. "I spent the night..."

"Apparently flitting around the Forbidden Forest as a dragon," Minerva interrupted. "We all saw you, Severus." She indicated the other teachers, who all, except for Remus, nodded in agreement.

"Well," he drawled. "I didn't actually see you, but I certainly heard you." He grinned at Severus. "I guess we were playing our old game of 'hide and seek' again."

"Impossible!" Severus snarled. "I was in bed. Tell them, Lucius." He turned to his friend, who could only shake his head.

"About moonrise, I heard a noise from your room," Lucius said with a frown. "When I looked up, you were coming out of the bedroom naked as the day you were born. I made a comment about putting on some slippers at least, but you didn't answer." He paused to take a sip of his wine.

"When you wandered out into the dungeon corridor...naked, I might add...I followed." He stopped again when Severus made a scoffing sound.

"I assure you, Lucius, I do not wander the castle naked. Awake or asleep." Severus shook his head in disbelief. "Perhaps you fell asleep and were dreaming. Should I use Legilimency on you?"

"He wasn't dreaming, Severus," Hermione assured him, placing her hand on his. "We all saw you fly from the top of the Astronomy Tower." She didn't flinch when he glared at her, but removed her hand just the same.

"Continue your fairy tale, if you please," he said to Lucius, turning away from the hurt he saw in Hermione's eyes.

"Well, I followed you up to the Astronomy Tower," Lucius continued. He grinned at Severus. "At first, I thought your state of dishabille had something to do with Hermione since you were headed in her direction." There was a general gasp of astonishment from the rest of the table, but Lucius ignored it. "Then you started up the stairs to the Astronomy Tower and went out onto the observation deck. Once the moonlight hit you, you started to change." He shook his head with astonishment. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Now I know you were dreaming," Severus sneered. "Me? Become a dragon in the moonlight? Preposterous!"

"I wasn't dreaming," Lucius insisted. "I know what I saw, Severus. Once you finished changing, you dived off the tower, and the wind lifted you up into the sky. The last I saw of you was when you disappeared into the Forbidden Forest."

Severus looked at the rest of the table. "You all believe this tarradiddle?" Most of those seated at the table nodded, but would not meet his eyes. Minerva, however, spoke up authoritatively.

"We all saw you fly off the tower, Severus," she said, confirming Lucius' story. You were a dragon. Lucius saw you change, and Hermione was right behind him on the tower stairs. You became Athair again."

Severus looked at Hermione. "You wouldn't lie to me?" he said plaintively. "Tell me the truth, Hermione, please?"

Hermione swallowed nervously. "We all took copies of our memories and put them into the Pensieve," she said hesitantly. "I didn't think you would actually believe us until you saw it for yourself. Will you look?" She pointed at the lower portion of the Great Hall where a Pensieve sat in isolated splendour on a table. "It's all there for you to see. All you have to do is look."

Severus stood up from the table, then looked down at her. "Will you look with me?" he all but whispered. "I think I need a friendly face while I'm in there."

Hermione smiled sadly and stood, taking his hand. "Of course, I'll look with you," she reassured him. "Come on. You, of all people, should know it won't hurt."

"Physically, no," he muttered as he followed her up to the Pensieve. Taking a quick breath, he looked at Hermione, and at her nod, they both looked into the Pensieve.

◊◊◊◊◊◊

Severus pulled himself out of the Pensieve, his hand clenched so tightly around Hermione's that his knuckles were white. His complexion, never very tanned, was even paler than usual. He made no protest as Hermione pulled him back to the High Table and made him sit down in his seat once more. In fact, he said nothing at all as the other instructors sat quietly and watched him.

With a deep sigh, Severus shook his head and sat straighter in his chair, finally releasing Hermione's hand. Looking out over the table, he could see Hermione in his peripheral vision, shaking out her hand to restart the circulation he had inadvertently cut off with his vice-like grip. He winced inwardly at the pain she must have endured and admired the strength she must have had not to complain about the tightness of his hold.

"What am I going to do now?" he half-muttered to himself. Only Lucius and Hermione heard him and exchanged concerned glances behind his back. Severus looked down the table at Minerva, who sat in the head position. "What do we do now?" he asked her. "This can't continue. I've only just now started living again." His plaintive plea had everyone else squirming in their seats in embarrassment.

"Well," Minerva said, "I don't think you're a were-dragon, if that's what you're worried about." She sounded confident in her opinion, although her face did not reflect that confidence. "Since you did not become Athair until you were actually out in the moonlight..." She hesitated. "I don't recall anything that says a were-being would have to actually be out in the moonlight in order to change. Remus, you shift whenever the moon is full no matter where you are, don't you?"

Remus shifted uncomfortably in his chair under the regard of his peers. "That's correct, Minerva," he replied, running a finger inside his suddenly tight collar. "I could be in the darkest dungeons or even in a cave and still shift into a wolf when the moon rises. There's no controlling it."

"Severus can't control it either," Hermione pointed out. "He's asleep when it happens. Maybe Athair is still part of him and takes over when he's asleep. It doesn't have to be the moon that's causing the change, but Athair himself."

"That's ridiculous!" Severus sneered.

"Is it?" Lucius asked. "We've seen many strange sights in our lives, Severus. Who's to say this isn't one more?"

"You're saying I have a split personality where my other self is a dragon?" Severus said sarcastically. "What's next? Appointments with a Muggle psychiatrist? I'd be locked up for sure, and wouldn't the Ministry love that!"

"Is it such a bad thing, Perfessor?" Hagrid asked. "Ya got wings an' kin fly! Wish I could."

"Hagrid, if I could give you this curse, I surely would," Severus said. "You are more than welcome to it. I already know how to fly without a broom. I certainly don't need wings to do so."

"But your other half breathes fire," Harry said, grinning. "Just think how handy that could be for the Samhain and Beltane bonfires." His quip lightened the tension in the other instructors, but Severus drew himself up angrily.

"Mr Potter, if I could take points from Gryffindor, right now your house would be so far in the hole, it would never climb out," he threatened. "I, for one, do not appreciate your unsubtle attempts at humour."

Harry had the good sense to look abashed and hung his head. "Sorry, sir," he apologised. "I was just trying to lighten things up a little."

"Thank you, Harry," Minerva said in reassurance. "You tried and it helped some, but we really need to do something about Severus' problem. We can't have a dragon appearing in school when the students are here." She held up a hand to forestall Severus' interruption. "I know you protected the school as a dragon, Severus, but you were conscious at the time. You yourself admit you were asleep the last two nights and don't remember a thing. We can't have that during the school year."

"I understand that, Minerva," Severus replied. "We have two weeks before the start of term..."

"Perhaps you need to stay awake tonight on the Astronomy Tower and see what happens," Hermione said suddenly. The other instructors stared at her. "Think about it. If the moonlight affects him, he would change into Athair anyway. So, stay awake and see what happens. If you don't change, we can surmise that Athair has control of your subconscious mind and can't take control if you aren't asleep."

"I would have to sleep sometime, Hermione," Severus said with a grimace. "I can't stay awake the rest of my life, or it won't be a long one at all."

"I realise that," Hermione answered. "Just for tonight, though, since it's the last night of the full moon for this month. Maybe Athair likes the moonlight so he can see his prey better." She paused and nibbled nervously on her lower lip. "By the way, did you feel me last night?"

"I'm sorry?" Severus shook his head in denial. "I didn't feel anything last night. I was asleep."

"I just wondered," Hermione explained. "Both last night and the night before, I could feel you again in the back of my mind. I couldn't communicate with you, but I did feel you." She looked crestfallen. "I suppose Athair could have suppressed your mind so deeply you might not have felt me at all."

Severus took her hand and held it tightly. "If I could feel you at all..." he began, only to be cut off by Lucius.

"All well and good," he said, "but we need to decide who's going to stay up with you so you don't fall asleep. I think, as your oldest friend, I should do it."

"That won't work, Lucius," Narcissa said in disagreement. "You were on the Astronomy Tower all night and most of this morning watching for Severus to come back safely. Even with a nap this afternoon, I won't have you risking your health by staying up another night."

Minerva held up a hand for silence as the others started in with their own ideas. "We'll take turns," she said. "Two hours each, and that way everyone gets some sleep tonight. Well, all but Severus, of course." She looked at him apologetically. "I'm sorry, Severus."

"Quite all right, Minerva," he replied. "Hermione does have a good idea. I can put up with Potter and Longbottom for at least two hours if it will help solve this puzzle."

"Then it's settled," Minerva said, quelling any arguments by picking up her fork. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm hungry."

◊◊◊◊◊◊

Just before lunch was finished, an barn owl approached the table bearing a message. Dropping down in front of Severus, she offered her leg. After untying the letter from her leg, Severus offered her a bite of leftover roast chicken. The owl hooted her thanks, gulped down the chicken and flew off while Severus unrolled the scroll she had carried.

Professor Snape (and Hermione),

I am not sure, but I think he might have been Obliviated, especially since he seems to remember everything from before I arrived and after I left. Why someone would want to make a Ministry official forget his meeting with me, I don't know, but I thought I had better warn you to be careful. Something is not right here, but I will get to the bottom of it.

Pansy Parkinson, MC