Chapter One Hundred-Nine: Vita Furtiva

Chapter One Hundred-Nine: Vita Furtiva

Easter Sunday, 4 April 1999

Severus shut the gate behind him and nodded to the witch on the other side. Gertrude gave a slight answering nod, then Disapparated. He stood there a moment, gazing at the space where the witch had been, then he turned and walked up the drive to the castle. It wasn't yet nine-thirty; Gertrude had brought him home well before curfew, safe and sound, as she had promised. Quite sound, more sound than he had expected. Severus flexed the fingers of his right hand, then made a tight fist before relaxing his hand again. He let out a long, slow sigh of relief. He had been certain that he would be returning that night with his hand severed at the palm, the metacarpals sawn through with the ritual's Serratus spell, one bone at a time, divided before even the skin and muscle had been sliced through with the Sectus, his flesh and bone to be transformed into a new arm for Professor Gamp.

Severus straightened his back and picked up his pace, though it was an effort. He felt drained. All he wanted now was to return to his rooms and find his bed. He ought to check on Slytherin first, he supposed, though there were only a few students staying over the holiday, and all of them older. Nonetheless, best to remind them that they were still at Hogwarts and subject to the rules, even if curfew was relaxed to weekend hours for the entire holiday.

He glanced up at the infirmary windows as he approached the castle. Only a very dim light on. Very likely no one there. Poppy may have returned, however. Perhaps he could see her once more before she left for her witches' holiday. He hadn't seen her since she had left the party the previous evening in the company of Aine, Gertrude, and Quin, seeing the three of them down to the gates, where they Portkeyed back to the Gamp estate. Gareth had decided to stay in Hogsmeade for the night and join his family at the estate in the morning, so he had borrowed a broom from Minerva, gone up to the tower battlements, and flown back to the Kilderkin Lane house from there...accompanying Helena to her door first, seeing her safely home. Severus smiled slightly to himself. He thought that Gareth had liked Helena more than he'd thought he would. Of course, likely nothing would come of it, since he was beginning to date his old girlfriend again, but one never knew.

Reaching his rooms, he took the small book from his cloak pocket, then hung up his cloak. He would put away the unnecessary potions ingredients in the morning. Just as he was setting the book on his desk, Twiskett Apparated into the sitting room. Severus looked at the house-elf, startled.

"The Headmistress asks to know when you return. I goes now and tells her," Twiskett said softly. "But I tells you first."

Severus sighed and sat in his chair. "Thank you, Twiskett."

Of course, Minerva would want to know when he returned after his unexpected absence...and perhaps she had other questions for him as well. He didn't know how he would answer any of them. She could arrive at any moment. He quickly tucked the Vita furtiva in amongst the pile of books at the back of his desk, hoping that she would not notice it there. He should have a little cubby in his suite for such things, as Professor Gamp had in her study on the island. He did have a few places to hide things...a false bottom in his wardrobe had once hidden his Death Eater robes and still held his extra wand and his will; his cufflink box with its secret compartment was suitable for small items or bits of paper, and was portable. Near his private potions lab, in a very old, primitive, unused loo, he had another compartment, a larger one, secret, hidden, and warded. Even Albus, as far as Severus was aware, did not know of it...it was the "special hidey-place" that he had been going to show Robbie the previous spring. In it, there were still a few potions, including a fast-acting lethal poison, one that had been a comfort for him to keep, though he had rarely carried it with him, and also his old potions diaries. At some point, he would copy out some of the notes from them that weren't of a Dark nature and put them in his new journal. He couldn't quite bring himself to destroy them, though. Perhaps after the old notes were safely transcribed ... He shrugged to himself. That was all behind him, anyway. It hardly mattered.

At the moment, though, no better hiding place for the small Dark text than plain sight; that would do. He would return it to the Headmistress's library in the morning after Minerva and Albus had left for her cottage. No point in even putting it in his wardrobe. She probably wouldn't notice either its absence or its return.

It would be convenient to have a hidden cupboard somewhere in his sitting room, he thought. Now that his life was more normal ... He had been surprised that Professor Gamp had one in her study on the island. She had lived alone for so many years, and the few visitors that she had were all trusted family and friends. But she had said it was habit; a pureblood witch was raised with the notion that she should have her own secret drawer or cupboard someplace close by, and keeping something in it didn't necessarily even mean that it was itself a secret, merely that it was special to the witch. Her mother had kept her old love letters in hers, Gertrude told him, those and her favourite pieces of jewellery.

Before they left the island, Gertrude had gone into her study off the dining room, and Severus had watched as she passed her hand over a blank spot on one of the walls, whispering an incantation as she did so. The wall had shimmered, she touched it, and a small door swung open, appearing only as it did so. Gertrude retrieved a thick manuscript tied with black ribbon and two smaller leather-bound books that appeared to be journals. She added those to the carpet bag with the other items she had wanted to have from the cottage. Severus had the impression that she was going to go straight to the Hogsmeade house from Hogwarts and leave everything there before going back to the Gamp estate for the night. He didn't think that she wanted anyone in her family to ask any questions about what she had fetched from the island, or even to know that she had visited. He would remain discreet about it, as well, though she hadn't specifically repeated her request not to tell anyone.

He was in the loo washing his face when he heard the knock at his door. Feeling slightly enlivened, he hoped it was Poppy, though he thought it more likely to be Minerva.

He opened the door by hand. He did not let out a sigh of disappointment.

"Good evening, Minerva."

"Severus. You are back safely."

He nodded. "Would you care to come in? I wish to check on Slytherin before curfew, but I have a few minutes." He opened the door wider and stepped back.

"Did you have a good evening?"

"It was fine. How was yours? Has Dumbledore returned yet?"

Minerva shook her head. "No."

"You are still leaving in the morning?" He sat down in his chair and gestured to her to take a seat on the sofa.

"That is our plan, as you know." Minerva walked around the couch before taking a seat on it. She looked around. "I understand that you were housecleaning this morning."

"My office, not my suite," Severus said. She must have spoken to Flitwick.

"Ah. And these rooms are next?" she asked.

"I hadn't given it much thought."

"So, where were you off to today so suddenly?"

"It wasn't sudden. It was planned. I had some business to attend to. Personal business."

"On a Sunday? A holiday?"

"It was a convenient time for it," Severus said.

"You mentioned that you were meeting someone."

Severus nodded.

"An old friend, then?"

"In a manner of speaking, I suppose," Severus replied. "Have you any instructions for your absence? Anything I need to know? You still plan to return on Wednesday morning, I presume."

"Aye, we do. If that changes, I will let you know. Filius said he plans to be here and be available to help you in anyway you require."

"Have you spoken with Hagrid again yet about Gryffindor?"

"He won't be returning until late Tuesday. Caspar has agreed to look after Gryffindor until Sharon returns next Friday."

"She is taking too much time away from the castle for a Head of House," Severus said with a frown.

"It is a holiday, Severus, and as long as each House has appropriate coverage and there are sufficient staff in residence, I am happy to be able to allow everyone a bit more freedom. Of course, if you really believe we should go back to the old way of scheduling holidays, Poppy would have to cut short her time away, as well. No long weekend with you following her return from the spa."

Severus snorted. Minerva's point had struck its target. "Very well. As you say, there will be sufficient staff in residence."

"Have you arranged coverage for Slytherin yet?"

Severus shook his head. "Ouellette will return to the castle on Wednesday. I will ask her then. If not ..." There were no other Slytherins on staff. "If not, perhaps you or Albus might consider checking on them at intervals?"

Minerva nodded. "You're looking forward to your holiday with Poppy, I presume."

"Naturally. Though I would prefer it to remain a private holiday."

"In other words, Albus should not know that you are with Poppy."

"Precisely. He may believe whatever he wishes about my time away and your willingness to allow me to leave the grounds, but I would prefer he not know that she and I will both be at your cottage."

"I haven't mentioned it, and I will be sure not to. And I'll forewarn Siofre and Johannes, as well, since they know you will both be coming, so they don't inadvertently say anything. Though I really think you could share this with Albus. I think he would be quite happy for you."

"Hmph."

"Albus was saying this morning how pleased he was that you came to the party and enjoyed yourself, and he remarked that you and Poppy seemed to be quite friendly. Be prepared for him to continue to try to fix you up with her, since he thinks you would be well suited to one another. You might find it easier simply to tell him."

"We shall see." He wanted to have Poppy all to himself, and it seemed that the more people who knew they were going on holiday together, the less private it would be. It would be like having to share her, as ridiculous as that sounded even to him. "Perhaps sometime after the holiday."

"Preparing for it?"

"I am unsure what there is to prepare. I suppose I might purchase new boots, as Poppy will introduce me to hillwalking, and I should have appropriate footwear."

"I thought perhaps that was the purpose of your outing this evening...not to shop, of course, but some other preparations ..."

"No."

"Well, you wanted to check on Slytherin," Minerva said, rising.

"Yes, I intend to. I thought I might also see whether Poppy had returned yet."

"She got back a couple hours ago," Minerva replied. "Miss Mitchell had a good time with Poppy's family, I understand."

"Ah." Perhaps his visit to the Slytherin dormitories could wait.

As Minerva got to the door, she turned and looked up at him. "You know, Severus, I'm very curious about where you went and who you were with today. I hadn't known that you had planned to leave at all this weekend, and when you did, your note ... it was very uninformative."

"I promised you that I would always inform you when I would be gone from the castle, Minerva, and when I would return, if I could predict that in advance. I did that today, and I returned, quite safe, as you can see."

"Would you at least tell me why the secrecy?" Minerva asked.

Severus hesitated. "It was a favour to a friend, so to speak. And it is the friend who requested discretion. I honour that desire. If it were vital that you know, then I would tell you. Let it suffice that I have returned, perfectly well, and I did not encounter the vigilante." He quirked a brief, crooked smile. "You needn't worry about me so much, Minerva."

"I would be quite happy not to," Minerva said.

"I am not planning to leave the grounds again until at least Tuesday evening, when I will be out with Gareth and his cousin Morgana, then on Wednesday, possibly Thursday, I may deliver the potions to Professor Birnbaum. But if I must leave for any other reason, I will leave word with Professor Flitwick."

"Tell him where you will be, too, if you can, Severus. If anything had happened to you today, we wouldn't have known where to begin searching for you."

Severus let out a short, huffed laugh. "Very well, if I can."

"At least you will be safe whilst you are taking your holiday with Poppy," Minerva said. "Fàinne an Fhithich is, I think, perfect for you to be able to get away from Hogwarts without exposing yourself to danger."

"That's the name of your place, Fanya an Eee–" He stopped, unsure of the second word.

"Fàinne an Fhithich. Spelt f-h-i-t-h, but both the fh and th are silent. Aye, but it is the name of the entire estate, the home of the Highland Tyrees. My cottage is there, to the southwest of the main house."

"What does it mean? Fàinne an Fhithich?" he asked, pronouncing it carefully.

"Raven's Ring," Minerva said. She put her hand on the door handle. "Say, Severus, have you seen that little book we used last year, what was it called ... Vita furtiva, vindicta abdita?" she asked, using the classical 'w' pronunciation for the 'v.'

"Vita furtiva, vindicta occulta, nex abdita," Severus said. "Yes."

"I was looking for it today and couldn't find it. I wanted to check something."

"I have it here," Severus said. "I was doing some research. I am finished with it now, if you would like to return it to the library."

"Thank you, I would."

Severus Summoned the book wandlessly and nonverbally.

As it sailed across the room, Minerva asked, "What were you researching?"

"A reconstitution ritual," Severus said, handing her the book. "It was not of any assistance, however. Please give my regards to Dumbledore when he returns. And I hope that his day was ... a success."

"Good night, Severus," Minerva said, apparently resigned to not receiving any further information from him.

"Good night, Headmistress."

As soon as Minerva had left, Severus went to the fireplace and tossed in some Floo-Powder. He stepped in and called out, "Infirmary."

A minute later, he was standing outside Poppy's door. Mrs Framingham immediately smiled and, saying she would let Poppy know he was there, left her frame.

Waiting felt like torture to Severus, though it was only a few moments before the door opened and Poppy was there, dressed in a pale blue nightgown and her blue, mauve, and lavender silk dressing gown, smiling up at him.

"Severus! I hadn't expected to see you tonight! Minerva told me you'd left the castle, and she didn't know when you were returning." She stepped back and let him in.

"I returned a little while ago. I would have come up sooner, but Minerva came down to see me."

"Yes, I think she was a little annoyed with you...she didn't say so, but she did ask me if I knew where you'd gone. I had to tell her I hadn't known you were going out, but that wasn't a surprise, since I had left so early in the morning."

Severus stepped toward her and put his arms around her. He didn't want to talk about his unscheduled trip from the castle. It was becoming tiresome. And he didn't want to lie to Poppy.

"Mmm, I am glad I'm back now," he said, holding her closer. "I've missed you."

"I was very busy today, but I kept wishing you were with me. It would have been more enjoyable with you there."

"Sometime, we'll go to one of your family celebrations together."

"I hope more than one, Severus. But we'll begin with having you get to know Violet and Dylan. Sunday dinner, one day soon."

"I would like that."

Poppy pulled him down onto the couch beside her. "So, where did you go today? It all seemed ... mysterious, if you don't mind me saying."

Severus twitched a shoulder. "I ought not say anything. I met ... I met someone who asked for my discretion."

"Well, I can appreciate that." She smiled. "It wasn't a date, and obviously you are back safe and sound."

"No, it wasn't a date, if you were worried about that." He hesitated. "If I tell you, please, do not tell anyone else. Not Minerva or anyone."

"Perhaps, if it is that important, you oughtn't tell me," Poppy said.

He shook his head. "Telling you ... I think it's all right that you know. And I know I can trust you, but it is important that it be as though I never told you, if you know what I mean."

"You needn't tell me, Sev. I trust you, too. I was only teasing about it not being a date."

"I would like to be able to share everything with you, though, Poppy, share it with you as though ... as though you were my second self. I can't yet, but I want to. And I ... if you will not tell anyone ..."

"Well, unless you've been planning insurrection or something, you can trust I wouldn't tell anyone...and if you were, well, I'd just talk you out of it!" she added with a laugh.

"Professor Gamp wished to retrieve some things from the island. Her family has asked that she not return...they have concerns about her...and she did promise that she would not return alone. I went with her. She fetched her things, gave me some supper, and showed me some of the island. It was important to her." He flushed, knowing that he had left out some crucial details, but he could not share those yet, if ever. Had he returned sans hand, then he would have told her, told her at least that he had restored Gertrude's arm. And likely, why, since otherwise, she might find it heroic and self-sacrificing, when it would only have been repayment for the damage he had done her so many years ago.

"Ah. Well, I understand that her family was worried about her. I think she's better than they believe, though," Poppy said. "She may not behave or say what they might expect or think she should, but I think that's her way. She is quite a canny witch. I would trust her with anything, and I do believe that she would never do anything terribly precipitate or rash. If she ever did do anything that astounded her family, it would only be after careful deliberation, I'm sure. And I'm also certain that she's in no way mad, although I know that Gareth isn't so sure of that."

"He told me once that she saw people on the island, people who had lived there before."

Poppy nodded. "I haven't spoken with her about it myself, not since the family became so worried about it, but if she says she saw them, as she told me, and she believes they were real, then I think that she really did."

"You have been to the island," Severus said, remembering their conversation the previous year. "You visited her."

"Occasionally. When Minerva or Albus would bring me. Robert brought me once, and it made me so sick, I couldn't go with anyone but Minerva and Albus. They have odd wards there...did you feel them?" she asked, looking up at his face. "Minerva says they're Thousand Year Wards."

He nodded. "I did feel them. It was like what I imagine being in a desert sandstorm would feel like...that was my experience of them, anyway. Professor Gamp had a salve that took care of the slight irritation from it."

"Your eyes are bloodshot," Poppy said, sitting back and pulling out of his embrace. "I can fix that in a trice."

Severus gave a crooked smile. "Faster, I'm sure!"

"Close your eyes!"

"Are you sure of your technique?" Severus asked, pretending scepticism.

"Unless you want to use a potion, yes...and potions aren't the best for everything, you know!"

"Where's your wand?"

"Hush! Close your eyes!"

Severus closed his eyes, then he felt her touch first one eye, then the other, with two fingers of her right hand, just a bit of magic tickling through his lids.

"Open!" Poppy nodded in satisfaction. "I think you will agree that there are times when a potion is less efficient!"

"I don't know. I will need to inspect your work!" He stood, and Poppy slapped his bottom lightly. He laughed and went into her small loo. He emerged a moment later. "Most impressive."

"I can be quite handy to have around if you ever go on a bender," Poppy said with a grin. "I developed that skill a long time ago. It made me popular in the St. Mungo's dormitory after weekend parties."

Severus smirked and sat back down beside her. "I can imagine. I told you that you were very good at wandless magic."

"I never thought of this as really counting, you know," Poppy said with a shrug.

"Why did you become a mediwitch?" Severus asked curiously.

"Because I like it. I like taking care of people, seeing them feel better. I find Potions and Healing Charms very interesting, and the different wizarding ailments, diseases, accidents, and so on, fascinating. I was always reading about odd Charms accidents or outbreaks of contagious magical diseases even when I was a girl."

"But why not a Healer?" Severus asked. "I'm sure you could have become a Healer."

Poppy shook her head. "Not talented enough," she said. "And besides, I like the kind of patient contact I have."

"I think you're very talented," Severus said.

"You are sweet, but I would never have been the sort of Healer I would have wanted to be...I'd never have been brilliant at it, never so innovative like Melina is, for example. Besides, as I say, I really do enjoy the kind of relationship I have with patients as a mediwitch, and I like being here at Hogwarts. That had always been my dream, to be the Hogwarts mediwitch. It may not be quite as exciting as working at Mungo's, and maybe you were right years ago with what you said about the Quidditch injuries and Charms accidents, but here, the Hospital Wing is my domain. Even when we have visiting Healers or mediwitches and wizards, it is mine, and what I say, goes. It would never be that way at St. Mungo's, not unless I became some kind of administrator, and I wouldn't have liked that. Even if you run a ward, there's always someone else looking over your shoulder."

"I think you would be brilliant at whatever you did, Poppy," Severus said, completely seriously, "and I think that if you had wanted to be a Healer of O'Donald's quality, you could have been."

Poppy chuckled softly. "I'm glad you think so, Sev, but I do know my own talents and skills."

Severus nodded. Perhaps she hadn't had quite the grades to have been accepted into St. Mungo's Healer programme. He still believed she was bright enough. "As you say, you enjoy your work here, and I am very grateful for it, and for your exceptional talents as a mediwitch. I'd rather have you take care of me than most Healers."

"Well, in a crisis where you would need a specialist, as you did in September, you'd be better off with one, but I won't display any false modesty and claim that you're wrong otherwise," Poppy said with a laugh. "But I also think ... if you were ever very ill again ... I would certainly take care of you, and I wouldn't leave your side, but I think it would be good to have another mediwitch available, too, and certainly a Healer."

"Why?"

"I have grown very attached to you, Severus. If you needed care, I would give it, and obviously if you came down with some little ailment and needed a bit of TLC and someone to look after your potions and take your temperature, I wouldn't let anyone else do that, and I'll be happy to keep an eye on your general health. But I think that if you were severely injured or desperately sick, I might be too upset to be able to take care of you as I might if it were someone else on staff...though I wouldn't wish to leave your side, either, and I'd watch everything anyone did to treat you. If there were an emergency and you required some urgent Healing spells or potions, I am certain that my training would carry me through and I could do what was necessary, but ... if you were requiring some kind of, I don't know, more than that ... well, that situation won't arise, I'm sure. Those times are past for you." She put her arms around him and squeezed, leaning against him. "I plan to make sure you stay well and never need anything like that again."

"I certainly hope those days are behind us," Severus said. "But I'm glad you explained why you would want a Healer there...and that you wouldn't leave me alone, either. And I may not be a Healer, but I want to take care of you in whatever way I can, Poppy. All of the time." He bent toward her and kissed her. "I love you." He kissed her again, his lips moving gently over hers.

"Mmm, I will miss you," Poppy said a few minutes later.

"You'll be busy enjoying yourself," Severus said. "I hope you will look forward to coming back, though, and to our holiday."

"Very much." She reached up and kissed him again. "I don't want to kick you out, but I do have to get up early in the morning for the Portkey. Pomona's coming by at seven for me, and we'll have a cup of tea and then leave directly after that. They have a breakfast buffet there ... it used to be fabulous. I hope it still is!"

"I wish you could stay with me tonight," Severus said with a sigh.

"When I get back, I will then," Poppy said with a nod. "And we will have our holiday. Of course ... you could stay here tonight. I would like that. I know you don't like to be away from Slytherin, and you'd have to be out early, before Pomona came by, if we're continuing to be discreet, but you're welcome to stay. I do need to get to sleep soon, though."

Severus kissed her forehead, thinking, then he nodded. "I would like that. I won't need to begin missing you until tomorrow, then. I do need to check on Slytherin first. And I'll call Twiskett and have him stay in my rooms. He can fetch me if someone comes knocking in the middle of the night. I'll try not to be long."

"Just let yourself in when you're through. The password is 'lilacs.'"

"Lilacs?" Severus asked with a smile. "And why would you choose that particular word?"

"Oh, perhaps because someone special to me gave me some very beautiful ones." She kissed him. "They're in my bedroom now, and still beautiful. The charms on them were very good."

"Your charms are better," Severus said, kissing her nose.

Poppy giggled. "Now you're just being silly, Sev. You go on and check your House. Join me when you're through."

"Very well, Poppy Priscilla Pomfrey!"

"No," Poppy said, laughing, "not Priscilla!"

"I am beginning to think that your parents named you something completely nonsensical," Severus said.

Poppy shrugged. "I don't know, did your parents name you Severus Strange Snape?"

Severus stood and shook his head, letting out a snort of laughter. "Indeed not, Poppy Pandora Pomfrey!"

Poppy laughed again. "I'll not be able to sleep at all if you keep me laughing like this! No, my middle name is not Pandora."

"Flitwick's portrait questions the other day brought that to mind," Severus said.

"Can you imagine having to answer a riddle or some kind of quiz every time you just wanted to get into your rooms?" Poppy asked with a laugh.

"I wonder what he does when he's had a bit too much to drink," Severus said.

"Perhaps they have some system so that Paris takes pity on him on those occasions...or when Filius needs to use the loo badly!" Poppy said, standing.

"I'll be back as soon as I can. If you're asleep, I'll try not to wake you."

"Don't worry about that. I'll be glad to feel you beside me."

"All right," Severus said with a nod. "Thank you for letting me stay."

"As I said, I'll be glad to have you here, too ... Severus Seth Snape."

Severus shook his head, "No, not Seth, either."

"Go on, now," Poppy said, opening the door for him. "Take care of your Slytherins. I'll be waiting for you."

Severus bent and kissed her once more lightly on her lips, then he was gone.

~*~*~*~

Up in her small study, Minerva stood and stared, unblinking, at the page to which the little book of Dark Arts had opened. She closed her eyes, shook her head, then opened her eyes again and turned back a page. The beginning of the ritual was no better. Worse, in fact.

Regretting her curiosity and wishing she had never used the Pagina Proxima spell, she closed the book, then rifled through it to a random page before closing it again.

Whatever Severus had been thinking...and Minerva had a very good idea of what he had been thinking and who he had been with...the "reconstitution spell," as he had euphemistically called it, was a horror, but she was sure from what she had seen of Severus that evening that he had not made use of it, for whatever reason.

She remembered now her apprehension when she had seen Gertrude draw Severus aside, at the time, more concerned for Severus's immediate discomfort than anything else. But she should have worried more about his overall state of mind. She could only imagine what daily torture he felt if he believed that the ritual and its consequences for him would be preferable.

Whatever he had done with the spell and the book, whether he had flinched at the last minute and been unable to propose the ritual or had presented it and had it rejected, Minerva was troubled by the mere thought that Severus had considered using that Dark magic to "repay a debt," as he had told her in his note.

Minerva shook her head. She wished that Severus would speak to her about it, but he would not be pushed. Perhaps one day, he would speak to Poppy about it. She closed her eyes again and sat down, putting her head in her hands and rubbing her left temple. He wouldn't speak to Poppy. Minerva was certain that he had not told Poppy that it had been he there on that dark night in May, he who had cut off Gertrude's arm, he who had set into motion such a train of events that led to Gertrude's long isolation from friends and family.

Poppy had always been fond of Gertrude. She had even taken Arithmancy through her NEWTs in part because she had liked the teacher, and by the time that Minerva came to teach at Hogwarts, Poppy had developed a deep affection and respect for the older witch. But despite that, or perhaps because of it, Poppy had never been told who had done the evil deed that night. She should learn of it, and sooner rather than later, Minerva thought.

But she would not be the one to tell her. And she would not interfere. Not in this. Too many depths, and no good could come from meddling. Still, Minerva hoped that Severus would speak to her about it, then she might be able to find out more what he was thinking and give him some advice, or at least a bit of courage to face it, whatever he decided.

Minerva opened the second drawer of her desk, tapped it twice with her index finger, revealing a hidden compartment with a few papers and a small purple crystal in it. She added the Vita furtiva to it, then closed the drawer, the compartment disappearing as she did.

Now time to find some Headache Potion and rest her eyes. Albus would be home soon. She could forget the Dark for a while and sleep in his comforting embrace.