Part Three

Babbity Git, Part Three

~Searching for Firewhisky~

He stomped down the path past the lagoon in high dudgeon, forgetting to whistle. Not that it mattered, because the girls weren't there. They had probably finished their laundry and were off playing somewhere.

How dare she hide his firewhisky! Who did she think she was?

And that act she was putting on, like butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. Who was she kidding? He saw what she did to Marietta Edgecombe her fifth year. Had tried everything in his power to erase what she had done to Marietta Edgecombe in her fifth year. The woman was a menace. A certifiable evil genius. He was going to report her to the Ministry when this was all over. If they didn't watch her carefully, the wizarding world would have one heck of a Dark Lady on their hands.

He shuddered to think of it.

Annie slipped by him on the path. "Good afternoon, sir." She was several metres past him before he thought to respond.

"Good afternoon," he yelled without stopping.

"No yelling, sir," Harry said as she sidled by him, holding something behind her back. "Remember?"

"What are you hiding?" he asked. She ran after Annie before he could try to catch her.

He was almost to the dock when he nearly ran into Elisabeth.

"Watch where you're going, sir," she barked.

"Sorry," he mumbled, his mind still occupied by Dark Lady Granger. What would her anagram be? No L, D, or Y. Well, that was a relief.

As if missing letters would stop her. She'd just change her middle name to include them. Hermione Lindy Granger, perhaps.

"Wait a minute!" he shouted. "Those are my shirts, dammit!"

Elisabeth had disappeared into thin air when he wasn't looking.

He walked faster now, passing the dock and rounding the bend towards the beach. Towards the ship. Jenny came around the bend from the opposite direction, running straight at him.

She had a coil of rope slung around her neck, and one of his laundry bags tossed over her shoulder. It was almost as big as she was. He put a hand to her shoulder and kept her upright as he stopped her easily.

"Those are my things, little girl," he said, shaking a finger in her face. "Give them back, now."

She bit his finger, stomped hard on his instep and ran off instead.

He fell down and cradled his foot with both hands. "Ow! That hurt!"

"No yelling!" shouted Harry. She sounded a long way off.

Fucking hell.

The thieving little brats had absconded with nearly everything that wasn't nailed down on his boat. The only things they'd left behind were two full bottles of whisky and his books. He wondered if Granger hadn't thought to ask for them or if he had interrupted before they could finish the job. Even the food was gone. And most of his clothes. They had been very busy indeed while he'd been preoccupied with Miss Granger. Not preoccupied with Miss Granger. Preoccupied by Miss Granger.

He threw himself into the hammock on the spar deck, and stared up at the cloudless sky. Out-Slytherined by a Gryffindor. It was almost more than he could bear. What had happened to his nice quiet vacation? To lazing about, with nothing more than whisky and a Horcrux on his mind?

A flash of movement caught his eye, and he sat up so suddenly he nearly fell out of the hammock. The Lestranges were back. They circled the atoll, apparently looking for something.

Merlin buggering a duck.

He slid down the rope ladder, and raced up the path to the hut, keeping an eye on the Lestranges the whole time. Only Harry was there, sitting at the table.

"Where is everyone?"

Something in his demeanour prompted an immediate answer. "At the stream, washing bedclothes."

"Stay here." He raced out the back door, not waiting for a reply.

Severus looked up at the sky, and his heart almost stopped. The Lestranges weren't there. He hurried to the stream and nearly ran into Miss Granger, who was crouched in the underbrush with the other girls. She held Jenny in her arms, rocking back and forth, while crooning to the frightened girl under her breath. Elisabeth and Annie watched silently, with faces pale and tense.

"You saw?" Severus whispered.

Miss Granger nodded her head.

He stood up and found a shallow place to cross the stream. "I'll be right back."

Miss Granger bit her lip, but nodded again.

He kept to the underbrush, making his way past the tableland to the cliff's edge that faced atoll. He risked looking over the cropping of rock and found that the Lestranges had landed on the atoll. They were pacing its length, reaching out with both wand and hand, clearly trying to summon the rowing boat. Which was tied up to the dock, where he had left it.

Merlin buggering a bloody bastard of a duck.

The Lestranges had never been very observant. They hadn't seen the dock or the rowing boat the last time, he was certain. They wouldn't be bothering with the atoll now, if they had. All he could do was hope their famously short attention spans would kick in soon. Then they would leave. And hopefully report back that this was the wrong island. Maybe they would assume that Voldemort has cast wards here as a distraction from the Horcrux's true location. Not that he thought the Lestranges were capable of such complex thought. But he was sure whomever was in charge would be.

The two men lowered their arms and walked back to their brooms at the northern tip of the atoll. Severus held his breath until they disappeared into the horizon towards Australia, as they had before, and then he walked back Miss Granger and the girls.

The group trudged back to the hut in silence, Miss Granger carrying Jenny because the little girl wouldn't let go of her neck, where they found Harry pacing frantically.

"Tea?" asked Severus. He started making it without waiting for a reply.

Annie came over and opened rat packs for him while he heated the water. Elisabeth and Harry set the table. Miss Granger sat in a chair and cuddled Jenny close. The girl eventually stopped shivering and fell asleep. Severus scooped her off Miss Granger's lap and tucked her into bed.

When he returned to the table, Annie poured the tea. They all drank deeply.

"What are they looking for, do you think?" Miss Granger asked, keeping her voice low.

Severus grimaced. "I'm not sure."

"They're not looking for us, are they?" whispered Annie, eyes wide.

"No," said Severus and Miss Granger at the same time. She laid a comforting hand on Annie's arm.

"If they know we're missing," Hermione said, "They probably think we're dead."

"And any revealing spells they may have tried to cast," added Severus, "Wouldn't work through the wards on the island."

Miss Granger gave him a look that promised an interrogation later.

He was definitely looking forward to that.

He glanced around casually, trying to catch a glimpse of green bottle glass. He was going to need a lot more whisky.

~Making Friends~

Returning to his boat several hours later, with fresh bedclothes in his arms and a full belly, Severus collapsed into the spar deck hammock with a groan.

He'd forgotten to radio Stump about the sighting. Never mind, he would do it in the morning. He wasn't about to haul his biscuits up the hill again that night. Especially when the girls were most likely asleep by now and Miss Granger could badger him to her heart's content, without fear of being overheard by little ankle-biters.

He rolled out of the hammock, and headed below deck. As he turned a corner in the hall to his cabin, his shoulder bumped against the wall, and a panel popped open. Where he hadn't noticed a panel before.

It concealed a closet. An equipment closet, because it held a pedal radio almost identical to the one in the Quonset hut. Maybe the Bulgarian ship was connected to this fiasco somehow after all.

He continued on to his cabin, bumping the walls every few feet. Couldn't hurt to try. But there weren't any more hidden rooms along that hall. He dumped the bedclothes on his bunk, and returned to the equipment closet. Since he'd taken the captain's cabin, there was enough space for the radio in his room. He hefted it up and took it there.

After he made his bed, he twisted open a bottle of whisky and tuned the radio to the correct frequency.

"Babbity Rabbity calling Stump. Are you there, Willykins?"

"Yes, Babbity. Is this line secure?"

"I am calling you from the pedal radio I found on the Bulgarian ship."

Seamus whistled into the mic. "Shite. Why didn't you tell us about it sooner?"

"Willykins, use your lazy-arse brain for once."

"Because you didn't know about it until today?"

"Precisely. I found it in a concealed closet less than an hour ago."

"Ah."

"What? No, excellent job, Severus?"

"Excellent job, Babbity."

"Thank you, Willykins." Severus paused to take a swig of whisky. "How is Luckless doing?"

"Fine. Just laid up until his magic renews. Dolohov hit him in the back with a sapping curse in Diagon Alley."

"He was always rather fond of those." Severus took another drink from the bottle.

"Still is, unfortunately."

"The Lestranges came back for another visit today."

"Fuck me."

"No thank you."

"Did they spot any of you?"

"They were preoccupied with trying to find the rowing boat on the atoll."

"Uh-oh."

"That's what I thought." Severus paused to take a drink from his bottle. "Fortunately, the Lestranges have a short attention span and a shallow think tank. They gave up after a while and flew off."

"That doesn't mean they won't be back."

"I'm rather hoping they won't. They might just think, with any luck, that this island is a decoy. What I found interesting is that they know the wards are active and they didn't, or couldn't de-activate them from the atoll. Which means that Voldemort made it impossible to do so."

"That is interesting. I'll pass that along to Luckless and Third Brother."

"You do that."

"How is the fair Maiden?"

"She is." Severus paused to drink. "A right pain in the arse."

"How so?"

"She had the brats steal most of my things off the ship," Severus replied.

Seamus laughed. Severus frowned.

"And she has hid all of my whisky."

"She didn't," Seamus said. "No, wait. I'm remembering how she was at Hogwarts. Of course, she did."

Severus drank another swallow.

"You do drink a bit much, Babbity."

"Et tu, Willykins?" Severus asked. "A bit pot, kettle, don't you think?"

"True enough." Seamus cracked open his third beer. Or was it fourth? He leaned over to count empties in the rubbish bin. "Fifth."

"Fifth what?" asked Severus. He tossed his empty bottle out the open porthole and heard it splash in the cove.

"Fifth beer." Seamus adjusted himself. "That reminds me of a song."

"What does?"

"My beer," said Seamus. "Shall I sing it to you?"

"Be my guest."

"As I went home on Monday night as drunk as drunk could be,

I saw a horse outside the door where my old horse should be.

Well, I called me wife and I said to her: 'Will you kindly tell to me

Who owns that horse outside the door where my old horse should be?'

Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk, you silly old fool, still you cannot see

That's a lovely sow that me mother sent to me

Well, it's many a day I've travelled a hundred miles or more,

But a saddle on a sow sure I never saw before.

As I went home on Tuesday night as drunk as drunk could be,

I saw a coat behind the door where my old coat should be.

Well, I called me wife and I said to her: 'Will you kindly tell to me

Who owns that coat behind the door where my old coat should be?'

Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk, you silly old fool, still you cannot see

That's a lovely blanket that me mother sent to me

Well, it's many a day I've travelled a hundred miles or more,

But buttons on a blanket sure I never saw before..."

"And what does beer have to do with it?" Severus asked.

"It's called Seven Drunken Nights."

"Ah." Severus was still confused. He shrugged and opened the second bottle of whisky.

"You're interrupting," Seamus slurred.

Severus blinked at the radio. "Sorry."

Seamus started singing again, and by the fifth night, Severus joined in.

"As I went home on Friday night as drunk as drunk could be,

I saw some boots beneath the bed where my old boots should be.

Well, I called me wife and I said to her: 'Will you kindly tell to me

Who owns those boots beneath the bed where my old boots should be?'

Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk, you silly old fool, still you cannot see

That's a pair of Geranium pots that me mother sent to me

Well, it's many a day I've travelled a hundred miles or more,

But laces on a Geranium pot sure I never saw before."

After two more rounds, they took a loo break. Severus peed out the porthole window.

"Willykins?"

"Yes, Babbity?"

"Was one of the girls you've loved before Granger?"

"No, sir," said Seamus. "She scares the shite out of me."

"Me too."

"She had Sabre hooked through the nose for a bit. During her wee collapse even. Barking orders at him from her hospital bed."

"Poor sod." Severus had felt pity for Weasley before, but never fond comradeship. It was an unsettling feeling. "She's getting suspicious about the island. I believe she's starting to wonder why there are wards on it."

"You, sir," said Seamus, "are buggered. Well and truly."

"Well and truly," echoed Severus. He stared morosely at the pedal radio. Seamus would know, wouldn't he?

"I'm tired."

"Me too." Severus laid his head down on his crossed arms. He closed his eyes and felt the boat rock him to sleep.

Severus flexed the slits on either side of his throat in concert with his webbed feet and propelled himself across the crystal clear water of the cove towards the coral reef with a silky whoosh. Eddies of water billowed in his wake as he glided through the sunlit shallows.

A hypnotic silvery voice lilted out a giggle as he caught a glimpse of glittery red scales and long mane-like hair just ahead. He kicked out again and his reaching fingers brushed against a diaphanous fin. He chuckled with predatory fervour as the fin jumped slightly and then shivered in delight. He swooped suddenly and caught his Piscean nymph by the waist and murmured, "Tag, you're it," in her perfect shell-like ear.

But she wasn't laughing anymore. She turned to face him, concern filling her bright brown eyes and said, "You shouldn't be drinking. It's bad for your liver."

Severus sat bolt upright in his bunk.

Even in his dreams, Miss Granger just had to lecture him.

~All-girl Crew~

Severus stumbled to the galley and was making coffee before he was fully awake.

Wait a tick. Coffee?

He blinked at the mug of dark, fragrant liquid in his hand. The girls had taken all the food, hadn't they? He looked up at the open cupboard to his left. It had been empty the day before, he was certain of it. But now there were packets of coffee and tea, Brown biscuits and Marmite.

Someone was trying to butter him up, perhaps?

He hated toadies. They held the tenth position on his list. Position four in the spring, when his tolerance wore thin as exams drew near. He was convinced Dumbledore had known and that was why he had made him Head of Slytherin House. Sadistic, manipulating old geezer. At least with Voldemort, the Crucio had only lasted until one pissed one's self or blacked out. Whichever came first.

Or. They were simply trying to thank him. Dumbledore always said he expected the worst of people.

Because he brought it out of them, he'd replied. "It's my special gift." He startled himself, saying it out loud.

Severus shook off the old memories and systematically searched the ship, tapping on every wall on every accessible deck. There was still some water in the hull, about knee high, that made it difficult to walk around down there. He found two hidden closets, in addition to the one that had concealed the pedal radio.

His new finds did not yield much. One was filled with nautical charts and the other was empty, save a few trinkets, the best of which was a police whistle. He tried it out, and nearly burst his ear drums in the process. It still worked, then.

He went topside and prepared to continue boat repairs. Adjusting the rope ladder, he climbed down until he was perpendicular to the hole and started sanding its ragged edges.

The purse.

Given what Granger had told him, there would've been a multitude of sundries scattered across the island has its magic failed. But there weren't. So the tiny beaded bag was still intact, even having passed through Voldemort's wards. And the Portkey had failed. The common denominator was the strength and scope of magic involved in creating both objects. Both the Portkey and the purse required a certain depth of skill and intent.

The only difference, as far as he could see, was the sex of their respective creators. Which meant that, if his suppositions were correct, that Voldemort had indeed disregarded, nay, had utterly dismissed witches' power.

What. An. Utter. Knobhead.

Peter Pettigrew had been a complete toe rag, but even he had known to watch his step around a powerful witch. Had Bellatrix suspected the shallowness of her precious Lord's regard for her, there would not have been enough left of him to fit in a matchbox, split soul or not.

Severus snorted. And blinked when a small hand holding the neck of a whisky bottle appeared in front of his nose.

A full whisky bottle.

He reached for it. "Thank you."

Jenny shook her head, and yanked the bottle back.

"You want something for it?" he asked.

She grinned at him.

He rummaged in his pockets and pulled out the whistle.

She reached for it.

"Ah, ah, ah," he said, holding it out of her grasp. "We are going to play for it."

Jenny tipped her head to the side.

"Say three words and you win," explained Severus. "Repeat after me. Rhinoceros."

She cleared her throat. "Rhinoceros."

"Elephant."

"Elephant."

"Wrong."

Hey eyebrows shot up her forehead and her cheeks flooded with pink. "What? I was not!"

"Sorry, that was the word. Wrong." Severus slipped the whistle into his pocket.

Jenny hoisted the whisky bottle over her head and threatened to smash it against the edge of the hole.

"All right, all right," said Severus, handing over the whistle. "Be careful with that, you could have hurt yourself."

She set the bottle down carefully on the deck, and skipped off happy as a clam, cradling her new treasure to her chest.

And returned a half hour later, with Elisabeth in tow. Who had Milky Joe tucked underneath one arm.

"He missed you. Shall I set him next to your bottle?"

"Yes, thank you." Severus gave his coconut pal a fond wave.

The girls giggled.

"Can we help?" asked Elisabeth. "We're bored and sick of lessons."

"Yes," Severus replied. "Grab a bucket and start bailing."

A few minutes later, Harry showed up.

"Oh, I love boats! I used to go sailing with my dad and uncles in Poole Harbour every weekend in the spring. What can I do?"

Severus looked her over. "Do you know how to swab a deck?"

"Yes, sir!"

"There's a mop next to the hammock on the spar deck."

"Aye-aye, sir!" In moments, Harry was merrily mopping down the top deck.

An hour later, Annie arrived. "May I help, Mr Zabini?"

"Jenny and I need a hand," Elisabeth piped up, dumping another bucketful into the cove.

When Harry finished mopping the top deck, she joined the other girls below. They formed a brigade, and soon had a rhythm going that produced a fountain of water into the cove.

Then they stopped for lunch, handing an extra rat pack they'd brought to Severus.

"Where is Miss Granger?"

The girls shrugged.

"I think she's looking for food to supplement the packs," said Elisabeth.

"Or looking for her purse," added Annie.

They finished their meal, Severus quietly listening as the girls chattered about their lessons and their lives back home.

Then the girls supervised him as he painted a new name on the stern of the ship.

"Who is Dandelion?" asked Jenny.

Severus dipped his brush back into the paint can. "A seahorse I know."

After that, Harry showed all of them how to repair the rigging and tie proper sailing knots.

A couple hours later, they helped Severus sand the hole and sang the song he had taught them.

"As I went home on Saturday night as drunk as drunk could be,

I saw a man running out the door just after ten past three.

Well, I called me wife and I said to her: 'Will you kindly tell to me

Who was that man running out my door just after ten past three?'

Ah, you're drunk, you're drunk, you silly old fool, still you cannot see

That's the King of England that me mother sent to me

Well, it's many a day I've travelled a hundred miles or more,

But an Englishman lasting past three sure I never saw before."

"Girls!" Miss Granger's voice rang out, full of shock. "It's time to for tea. Leave Mr Zabini alone, and go back to the hut."

The girls groaned as one, even Jenny, but did as they were told.

Miss Granger crossed her arms over her chest. "Mr Zabini, I will thank you not to teach the girls such questionable songs in the future."

"They were just having a bit of fun." He leaned against the ship's hull and stared down at her.

"Fun." Her lips pursed as if she were sucking a lemon.

"Yes. You're not familiar with the word? I'm sure I have a dictionary around here somewhere." He made a show of looking through the hole into the ship.

She huffed so strongly that her fringe fluttered in the breeze. "I do not require a dictionary, Mr Zabini."

"That's good." Severus sneered. "Because you have nearly everything else that was mine."

"Stop interfering with the girls, you git!" Miss Granger yelled, and stomped off towards the path to the hut.

~Fishing Lesson~

He had three days of blessed peace before Miss Granger showed up again, early one morning.

While he was busy fishing.

The girl had a knack for catching him at a disadvantage. She would have made an outstanding Slytherin, in spite of her less-than-perfect pedigree. Which, in Severus's hard-earned opinion, counted for little more than the parchment such folderol was printed on.

He ignored her in favor of catching the fish that had been eluding him thus far. With a triumphant cry, he scooped it up in both hands and threw it onto the rocky part of the beach, where it flopped helplessly, seeking water.

Severus crouched over again, and held his hands underwater in a basket shape, standing both motionless and silent. Another fish swam through his legs and over his hands, only to end up on the shore, suffering the same fate as his brethren.

Satisfied with his haul, Severus waded to shore, where Miss Granger was waiting for him.

"I'm sorry about the other day," she started to say. "It's just that I left the girls in the hut, doing their lessons, and when I came back, they were all gone. I'm afraid I panicked and took it out on you."

Severus waved her apology off. "I understand. Forget it ever happened."

"I can't do that," she replied. "I'm responsible for these girls until we reach Australia. I promised that I would look after them and that no harm would come to them."

"And none has," said Severus.

"You don't know what it's like, do you? Being in charge of young minds, helping to shape what they will be as adults? It's a sacred duty, Mr Zabini, and one mistake could jeopardise their entire future."

Severus snorted.

"Don't you snort at me, Mr Zabini. All you do is sit around, fishing, and drinking..."

"And working on the boat." He reminded her, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I was getting to that! Working on your boat and teaching impressionable young girls bad manners and bad habits and the words to filthy songs! How hard could it be, to do what you do? I'm sure I could catch a fish in half the time you took!"

Severus swept a bow, and motioned with an elegantly turned hand toward the cove. "Be my guest."

Miss Granger pursed her lips and bent over, rolling her trouser...his trouser...cuffs up above her knees. She shoved her...his...shirt sleeves up around her elbows and waded into the cove.

Where had she managed to find a grey shirt?

And then it struck him. She'd cut off his nightshirt at the waist.

He dropped to the sand and sat cross-legged, propping an elbow on one to hold up his chin on that hand.

"I'm looking forward to this," he called out. "My mealtime entertainment has been scarce of late."

"Hush!" she hissed, copying his crouched position. "You'll scare off the fish!"

He chuckled.

She stood motionless and silent for a few minutes, and then brought up her arms in a flailing motion that splashed water into her face. She repeated this series of actions several times.

It never got old.

The tenth time, she flailed so hard that she over-balanced and ended up on her bottom in the water, thoroughly soaking her trousers and shirt.

"I like fish, but they don't like me," she said pathetically, as she stood up.

Severus stood up and waded out to her. "Here, let me teach you how."

He positioned himself behind her, and nudged her gently on the back, so that they crouched together. He took her hands in his and guided them into the correct shape under the water.

As they stood quietly, waiting for a fish to come along, Severus realised several things all at once.

That Miss Granger was a full-grown woman.

She smelled very nice, like jasmine with a hint of green tea underneath.

She had her hair up, exposing delicate ears and a supple neck.

He had always been a sucker for both.

He longed to caress that supple neck with his lips, and nuzzle her ears with his nose.

Her nipples were erect under his old nightshirt. His wet, and now completely see-through old nightshirt.

She was holding her breath and trying to lean back into him without moving.

Which was very bad. Because he was very hard. And young impressionable minds could show up at any moment, getting an eyeful they would never forget.

"Mr Zabini," she whispered breathily, making him impossibly harder. "Are we going to catch a fish?"

"Hmmmm?" he enquired absentmindedly, distracted by the demands being issued by his nether region.

"I said, are we going to catch..." She paused to breathe deeply, and his eyes greedily followed the movement of her chest. "A fish?"

Her exhalation bumped him out of his reverie. "No."

"No?" she asked, and tried to turn into him.

He backed away quickly. "No. Not today," he said, striking out for deeper and hopefully, colder water. "Not ever," he muttered to himself.

When he came back from his doggie paddle, she was gone.

Severus made himself scarce for a few days.

And had to avoid fishing, as well.

It seemed certain parts of his body had established very pleasurable associations with the pastime. Which Severus found embarrassing and rather inconvenient.

No to mention horrifying, if he happened to remember that Miss Granger was a former student.

He tried to remind himself of that fact every time he set eyes on the cove. Which was altogether far too often for his peace of mind.

He was afraid he might go insane.

Milky Joe was inclined to agree.

~Snake Bite~

"Mr Zabini! Mr Zabini!"

Severus stuck his head out of the hole he was measuring for wood. "Yes, Harry, what is it?"

He tried not cringe every time he said her name, especially as he had found out the day she swabbed the spar deck that she insisted everyone use it as a homage to Potter.

Or as she put it, "This way, I have the same name as my hero!"

"Come quick!" The girl was hopping from one foot to the other at double speed. "Miss Granger has been bit by a snake!"

He dropped the measuring tape and pencil he'd been holding and jumped through the hole in the hull, wading to the beach as quickly as possible.

"Where is she?" he asked, trying to catch his breath.

Harry grabbed his hand and started running, "At the hut!"

They made it there in record time, and Severus panted heavily while the girls all tried to speak at once, except for Jenny. She simply sat next to Miss Granger on her bunk, holding her hand and petting it.

Severus made a cutting motion with his hands and everyone quieted at once. He pointed at Miss Granger. "What happened?"

"I was picking berries off the bushes that hang over the lagoon with Elisabeth," Miss Granger began.

"And she fell off the tree trunk!" put in Elisabeth.

"Yes, I fell off. So my foot was in the water when something bit my ankle," Miss Granger said.

"It was a long, ugly snake! I saw it!" Elisabeth yelled, unable to contain herself. Severus frowned at her, and she put her head in her hands.

Annie put her arm around Elisabeth and stroked her hair.

"Then we came back here as quickly as possible," said Miss Granger, finishing the story.

He walked over to Miss Granger's bunk and looked at her ankle.

There were two small puncture wounds visible on her skin above the ankle, actually her mid-calf, as if a pair of fangs had sank in and then let go.

"Girls, I want you to go outside for a while." Severus broke apart an empty crate and put it with some crumpled paper in the dry sink. He set fire to it with matches from the rat packs. "Go!" He said again, when the girls didn't move.

"Listen to Mr Zabini, please," said Miss Granger. "I'll be all right."

"But I want to watch," whined Harry.

Miss Granger patted her on the backside. "Go on, Harry."

The girls left the hut.

"But stay close," Miss Granger called after them.

Severus stuck a hunting knife into the fire, sterilising it. Then he scrubbed his hands in the dish bucket. He brought the knife over to her bunk and put a hand on her leg to stabilise it.

She sucked in a breath that was part hiccough.

"Is it painful?" he asked.

Miss Granger swallowed hard at seeing the knife poised over her calf. "Your hand is wet."

"Now, this is going to hurt a little." He moved closer to see better and gripped her leg more firmly.

"You should enjoy that." She bit her lip and averted her eyes.

"Quiet," he growled, and drew a cut in an x motion across each puncture. "You can yell if you feel like it."

Her forehead wrinkled in pain and she closed her eyes. "I don't feel like it." She bit down on her fist.

"I'm all done," he said, setting the knife aside, and gripping her leg again.

She leaned up, hovering over him. "Do you really think it was poisonous?"

"No sense taking chances," he said, "Lie back, this isn't going to hurt." He put his mouth to the incisions, and sucked, periodically spitting out the blood into a trash bin by her bed.

"Mr Zabini, I want you to know that I appreciate what you are doing," she said.

He squeezed her leg so that her blood rushed to the surface of the wound. "Save it." He lowered his mouth once more, sucking at the wound again, and spitting out the blood.

Satisfied that he had expelled as much poison as possible, he opened the first aid kit, and bandaged her wound.

Then he stood up and went to the pedal radio, turning it on. He pressed the communication button. "Babbity Rabbity here, calling Stump. Are you there, Willykins?"

"Yes, Babbity. What is it?"

"Get Sabre, will you? There's been trouble here."

"Is this line secure, Babbity?"

"No. Now go get him."

There was a momentary pause and indistinct shuffling in the background.

"Sabre here, Babbity." Weasley sounded like he was talking with cotton balls in his cheeks. "What's going on?"

"You scouted this island, correct?"

"Yeah, I did."

"What kind of snakes have we got around here?"

"Is this question for educational purposes, Babbity?"

Severus sighed. "Not as such. Miss Granger ran into one today."

"Bugger!" Weasley breathed. "Is she all right?"

"She seems to be resting comfortably for now," said Severus. "Find out if they're poisonous and what we can do about if they are."

"On it," said Weasley. "Don't be hero and suck out the venom until we know what kind of snake it is."

Severus turned to face Miss Granger, and their eyes met in horror.

He scrambled for the drinking water, and gargled thoroughly.

A few minutes later, Sabre hailed them again.

"Babbity, I have Altheda with me. Plug in the phones, will you?"

"Hang on," Severus said, plugging them in. Miss Granger sat up, concern writ across her face. "Go ahead."

"It's not good news," said Sabre. "We've checked with tropical experts and according to them, there are three types of snakes indigenous to your area. All of them are extremely poisonous. I'm handing the mic over to Altheda."

Very conscious of Miss Granger's eyes upon him, Severus kept his body relaxed, and his face blank.

"Altheda here."

"I'm pretty sure I got all the poison out."

"It can't hurt you orally, Severus. But if the poison was introduced to the blood stream, there's nothing you can do. Even with magic."

"There must be some..."

"The poison affects the neurological systems. The end will come suddenly, preceded by a general numbing sensation and dizziness."

How very déjà vu.

"I see." He refused to look her in the eye. He could feel the tension emanating from her.

"I recommend that you make her as comfortable as possible, including the liberal use of any strong analgesic sedative you might have."

"I'll look around."

"This is no time to hoard the good stuff," said Zabini.

"Tell that to Miss Granger," muttered Severus.

"What was that?"

Severus grimaced at the mic. "Nothing."

"Call us when it's over, Babbity. Good-bye."