Chapter Seven

Hermione stood at the door to Scotland Yard and tried to steady her nerves. She had come earlier and watched the door for a while under a Disillusionment Charm – just to get the feel of the officers that entered the door. Some of them seemed quite serious, while others joked with each other. Others still groaned at the early hour and gulped cups of coffee to wake themselves up. Hermione waited until the shift change was over, and then she hid around the corner behind a dumpster and became visible. She had a Glamour Charm on, one she was quite shocked to see in the mirror when she had finished casting the spells. She wore long black hair, and her skin was rather pale, her nose a bit more pronounced. She had decided she should masquerade as Severus' daughter. After all, who else but a family member would look for him after all this time? Her age made it more believable than a wife. She had photoshopped pictures of herself in the disguise with Severus. She looked a bit Goth: dark makeup and black baggy clothing. As herself, no one would believe she was his daughter. The idea of playing his daughter made her uncomfortable, but her mother assured her this was the best plan. She checked her sleeve again for her wand and entered the door, sauntering confidently up to the main desk.

A man in his fifties looked her over and scowled. "What do you want?" He was used to picking kids up of her caliber, not finding them coming to him.

"Sir, I'm lookin' for my father. He's been a missing like nigh six years or more. I been to a number of countries." The slang made her cringe inwardly, but it was all part of the charade.

"Six years, that's a long time. What make you think he's here in Her Majesty's kingdom?"

She shrugged and scratched her head. "Don't. It's another place I haven't looked."

"Go away, girl. I haven't got time for this joke. Why would a slip of a girl like you be looking all this time for her dad?"

Hermione had been prepared to give him an emotional scene. She covered her face with one hand. "Please. I'm so tired of looking, but he's got to be hurt. He was a good dad, and he just vanished on a trip. He was despondent when my mum died, and I came home one day and he was gone." She sniffled and let him see the tears brimming in her eyes. "He left a note, said he had gone to get his head straight, and he never came back. Local authorities found his car in an Italian airport parking garage..." She drew out falsified documents and newspaper articles with the story and dates from the war. The picture of her as a child with Severus was there.

The officer took them and studied them. He gave her a more sympathetic look. "Well, Miss, he's a lucky man to have a daughter so persistent. You're sure took after him. What makes you think he's still alive?"

"A feeling, sir." She touched her chest, feeling the chain of the bottle there. "I know it in my heart. Maybe he's forgotten who he is or is in hospital. Look, sir, all I want is to look at your unidentified persons files." She let the tears spill out and run down her face.

"Now see here, missy, no need to cry." He grabbed a tissue from a box on his desk and handed it to her.

"Thank you," she sobbed as she mopped at her face, black makeup smearing down her cheeks, making her look even sadder.

"I got books and books and books of pictures of people in hospitals and homes. You have no idea how many turn up lost and near dead about that time. There was some weird thing happenin', and no one knew what to make of it. But it passed. It will take hours for you to look. They are pictures from all of Europe. I know you been other places, but these are the latest books.

Hermione looked at him gratefully. "I have all day, sir," she said with a thankful smile.

The man took her to a small room; it had only a chair and a table. He showed her in and left her.

Ten minutes later he returned with his arms weighted down with photo books. He dumped them rather unceremoniously. "Bloody things are damn heavy," he said, huffing a bit.

She said, "Thank you," and grabbed the first one, eager to get started.

"I'm Inspector Mayfield," he introduced himself finally. "Let me know when you want a break or need some water or coffee. There's a buzzer on the door."

She nodded and opened the first book.

He stood there and she finally looked up. "The green ones contain the unidentified dead. I'm afraid some of the photos are quite grizzly." He seemed to want to apologize to her.

She glanced at the book and swallowed. "I hope it won't be necessary." She let more tears fill her eyes. She had been using the memories of Severus' tears from the last time she had seen him to affect her emotions, so that she would look scared and small. She knew what had caused all the mysterious disappearances and foggy memories he had spoken of earlier. Death Eaters had thought it funny to damage Muggle brains. There were many spell-damaged people in Muggle hospitals, and only a few Muggleborn Wizards and Witches who were carefully searching them out to see if they could help. It had been years, and still so many were yet to be helped. She had found this out only a few weeks ago while looking through some papers in the ministry library. The revelation had surprised her, and she carefully searched over the list of those recorded as helped or left, as they were beyond help. There had been no Severus Snape. If he had been found by a Muggleborn Wizard or Witch, he might have been left to rot. Not everyone believed Harry's story.

Hermione searched the names and faces of those in the pictures. So many lost and tortured people–you could see it in their eyes. Haunted, not knowing who they were. Then there were those in facilities who lay upon beds as Severus was. Eyes closed, faces at rest. She would not think of them at peace, as they too were lost to this world.

She stared at the faces, hoping to recognize someone. So many witches and wizards had vanished in the war, never to be seen again, assumed dead. Once she found Severus, she would suggest to the Aurors that they conduct searches of these sorts of institutions for spell-damaged missing.

Hermione took a break when Inspector Mayfield brought her a coffee and a sandwich at about 2 p.m. She tried looking faster; she really did not want to have to come back again. She touched her chest every now and then, begging Severus to speak to her, telling him she was there looking. She had not heard from him since he had been drugged, and it was frightening her out of her mind. Three days of silence, three days of her begging and calling to him to speak to her. She was becoming more nervous as each page went by and she did not see him. A few faces made her heart lurch initially. Men with long black hair, but she could see once she focused on them that they were not him, and her heart sank. She was half way through the last book when she turned the page, blinking wearily from fatigue, when a face swam before her eyes. She shook her head, tears swimming in her eyes, distorting her view. It was probably another man, another lost soul, but she rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hand and refocused, a gasp issuing forth. There he was, his raven black hair fanned across the pillow! His neck was swathed in new bandages. Of course his throat had been gravely damaged by Nagini's bite. He had a cut across his cheek, and his face was deathly white, his nose pronounced.

She gasped again as Severus' voice called in such a slow low tone she nearly missed him, Hermione?

Severus! she thought back. Oh, thank God, you're alive! I've been so frightened. She looked about the page for some information to his whereabouts. There was only a code.

Are you okay? I heard you screaming my name. I was in such a black, lost place. Your voice came like a light in a tunnel, and I followed it, Severus said, his voice getting stronger.

Severus, I've found you. At least I have a lead. She explained where she was. Hermione could feel his relief and tears. Severus, you must remain as still as possible. Please, don't give them reason to drug you. It's very dangerous for you to have been asleep for three days. You must stay as still as possible, keep your blood pressure readings normal. If anything alerts them to your consciousness, they will drug you again.

She felt him breathing steadily through his nose. Soon he said, I am waiting for you to come, Hermione. Please hurry.

Hermione ran to the door and hit the buzzer a number of times.

The Inspector came in a hurry. "What's happenin', Lassy? What's all the ruckus about?"

"I found him!" she cried. "I found him!" She grabbed the man's arm and dragged him to the table. "This man, number 1228, book 23. This is him this is S..amuel Smith... my father." She grabbed the book and held it to her chest. "Oh, my God, I found him, I found him!" The emotions were real, and it staggered her; she felt faint. She had been looking now for months. She sat back heavily into her chair and felt the room around her spin.

"Lassy, Lassy!" she heard the Inspector calling to her. "Here, drink this water."

Hermione took the glass with shaking hands, steadying them enough to drink the water. She found it cold and reviving. She took a shuddering breath. "Please, go find out where he is, please," she begged. "I cannot wait another minute, sir, please!"

The man nodded and took the book, leaving her in the small room with the stacks of other books.

Hermione collapsed on the table, her face buried in her arms. "Severus, I'm coming soon, please, wait for me."

Severus' voice came back, I am waiting.... There was a pause and he asked, Hermione, why do you sort of look like me? He had seen her reflection on the shiny table when she had buried her face.

Hermione froze mid sob. I... I told... them I was your daughter, she stammered. Please, don't read anything into that; it was the only way to persuade them to help me. I do not and have never wanted to have a father/daughter relationship.

I should hope not... I would be disappointed...

Officer Mayfield came back; he had a computer print out in his hand.

Hermione took it and scanned the words on the page. "Attacked and robbed... throat lacerated... brain deprived of oxygen... assigned to Government facility... Shadowlane, Ireland," she read from the piece of paper. She was distressed when his location settled in her mind. "Ireland, my God, that's a long way away. I need to see him now!" Hermione cried.

"Lassy, you need some help. Why, I'd say we got a lot of good officers here, and if we passed the hat, we could well send you on your way."

Hermione looked at him through her tears. "I'd pay you back every cent. Once my Dad's up and about, we can both work." She knew she did not really need the money. She could get a portkey, and it would take her close by, but this man would not understand that. She would return the money. She could see he was now looking at her with pity. He had read the report; he saw the words 'brain damage' as well as she did. He thought she would just go there to find a body in a bed on life support. He had no clue that she was armed with potions that would give Severus nearly, if not all, his functions back. Nor did he know Severus' mind was nearly healed, that he was capable of complex thought, and that his body was on the verge of waking, if only he was allowed to.

"Well, I will go see what I can come up with," the kind Inspector said bracingly. "You just sit back down and relax. You're plum wore out."

Hermione gulped and sat back heavily into her chair. She definitely was 'plum wore out', as the Inspector had put it. She had been running here and there every weekend for months, and when she was not researching potions to help Severus, she had been teaching and taking lessons with Healer Laurante. She was so tired she often fell into bed, clothes and all, and woke only after a few hours of sleep. She had only two more weeks of school, and then she would be free to take care of Severus, but in the meantime she still had to get him out of wherever he was. She had to find someplace safe for them to stay for a few days, maybe weeks. Severus wouldn't be able to Apparate back right away.

She put her arms on the table and rested her head on them, succumbing to sleep within a few moments. She was immediately in the hallway, walking toward the room that Severus was in. She hurried and then ran, bursting into the room. He was lying so still, so pale. A man stood beside him and was adding medication into an IV. "This here will ensure you won't wake again." A nasty laugh followed. "I won't be having to feed you and mop up after you. You're always gonna be a half wit; no sense making this harder for me."

Hermione yelled, "Stop! Get away from him!"

"Well, what do we have here? A nice looking girl you are." He turned to her, and somehow his arms held her close to his body. "No! Severus!" Hermione screamed as she fought him. He slapped her onto the next bed and bound her wrists. He was just about to ram a needle into her arm when he slumped sideways and fell to the floor. Severus' face came into view.

"Hermione, Hermione it's only a dream. It's a dream! Wakeup. You're still in the station."

Hermione sat up bolt straight, and Severus' face faded. "Oh, my God," she cried, pulling the chain from under her blouse and grasping the pendant in her shaking hand. Are you okay? A dream you say? You're okay? she babbled on.

Yes, his voice came as a soothing balm, and she felt her rapidly beating heart start to slow.

The Inspector came back. "Lassy, what's all the screaming about?"

Hermione sat again and said, "I'm sorry I fell asleep. I had a nightmare that my Dad wouldn't wake up when I got there, that he was being drugged and kept there."

"Lassy, you poor dear, you're so tired from your search. Your dad is in a coma. There is no guarantee he will wake up," he said gently.

He stared at her, not saying anything until she let her face crumble and a tear run down her cheek. "I know, but I need to go to him as soon as possible."

He nodded, seeming to be convinced she did understand. "Look, one of the ladies who works in the business office end of the station has a friend who works at Heathrow. She can get you a seat on the next plane heading for Ireland."

Hermione did not want to wait; she could use a Portkey from the Ministry. But if she turned him down, he would be suspicious. Either way would take time. She would have to take the ticket and try to deal with the time it would take to get there. She grabbed his hand and clung to it, "Oh, Inspector, that would be so wonderful. It might take me weeks to work my way there on a boat or a job to get the money for a flight. How soon can I leave?"

"I think within the next two hours. Look... there's a shower room in the back, and one of the ladies here has some clothing she just got. She's a bit small like you. You might want to spruce up a bit. I've organized a car for you to be here in thirty minutes. That should be enough time for you to clean up a bit. There's... um, close quarters in those planes," he said diplomatically.

Hermione wanted to laugh; her glamour was designed to make her look thin and unkempt. She tugged at her greasy long black hair and just said, "Thanks." She had the foresight to look rather embarrassed.

He gave her a sympathetic look. "Lassy, any girl who's gone through what you have wouldn't have coped as well as you, I'm sure. Now, come on. Let's get you cleaned up and to the airport in time."

Hermione went with him and found herself in the Chief Inspector's private bathroom. She turned on the water in the shower for the benefit of the Inspector and the office lady waiting for her outside. She took out her wand and renewed the Glamour Charm, cleaning herself up a little bit. She quickly changed her clothes, then sat on the bench and concentrated on Severus, her fingers sliding over the wooden amulet at her neck. Severus? Are you there? she asked.

Yes, what's happening? Are you coming? His voice sounded hopeful and yet unsure.

Yes, Severus. I'm coming, but it's going to take a few hours. She explained to him the situation she had gotten herself into.

He was quiet for a long time. Then he said, I understand, I'll be waiting.

Please be careful. I'll be there as soon as I can. I will Apparate once the plane lands.

I'll be here. His voice was a bit unsteady.

Hermione felt a tear slide down her cheek. This delay was horrible for both of them. But there seemed no way out of it. I'll stay in touch on the plane. We need to make plans on how I should get you out.

Now, leave me be, woman, and get going. His voice was gruff, and he had that nasty bite to it, but she knew it was just disappointment.

Hermione heard a knock at the door. "You ready, Lassy? The car's here, I'm gonna take you there myself, make sure everything is okay with the flight."

Hermione stuffed her clothes in the plastic bag they had given her and followed him through the building. As she slipped into the seat, he took his spot behind the wheel and drove her in silence to the airport. Being it was a police car, he was able to park right in front of the doors, and he escorted her into the airport. At the ticket counter, he handed her some papers and a small wad of cash. "There's my number on this card. If you need to come back, call me at the station. I'll figure out something."

The airport was bustling, and Hermione spent a good 30 minutes getting her ticket and checking through security. She had a passport from her travel with her parents. She had altered her picture so that it looked like her glamour. The Inspector had followed her during the process. She turned to say goodbye before passing into the secure part of the airport. Hermione looked into his worn face. "Thank you, so much. You've helped me more than anyone in all these years. I'm gonna tell my dad all about you. I'll bring him to see you when we get back,"

The Inspector looked at her as if she had lost her mind again. When she let fresh tears flood her face, he stammered, "Please, don't expect miracles. But you're a determined lass; maybe he will hear you. Who knows, maybe he will wake, once he hears a voice he recognizes. Stranger things have happened." He stood watching until she had checked through security.

Hermione turned to wave at him. She said a short prayer, wishing a special blessing on the man. He had not known what she really needed, but he had given her everything he knew to give, and that was rare these days.

Hermione stepped into a bathroom. The clothing had been a little loose, but she had used her wand to alter it. It was a simple print blouse and slacks.

She found herself stuffed into a window seat with two large men next to her. She squeezed over as far as she could and reached for the wooded amulet. She took the airline pillow and stuck it into the crook of her neck and let herself fall asleep.

She found Severus sitting on a bench in an empty, calm park. There was a soft breeze rustling the leaves on the tree. He turned as she approached, and the corners of his lips curved up in a slight smile. Hermione reached out her hand, and he looked at it for a moment before taking her hand in his and drawing her down beside him.

"I am waiting, I am quietly waiting. I have been awake for several hours now, and I am staying as still as I can. I am weak, and I am not even sure I can walk."

Hermione laid he head against his shoulder. "I have potions to help with that," she assured him. She looked at their fingers threaded together. "I'm coming as fast as I can. If I could, I'd Apparate from the plane. But then it would leave a mystery, and they would look for me at the hospital. I've left a trail. It's the only way to find you."

"I can wait. It's only a few hours." He pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Hermione was pleased and looked up into his face. When he frowned, she ducked away, embarrassed that he knew she had wanted a real kiss.

A strange guttural sound came from him, and Hermione realized it was a laugh. His fingers tightened. "I would kiss you, but the glamour you're wearing now is also what you have on in this dream. It would be a bit strange to kiss my 'daughter'."

Hermione's face reddened. "I forgot," she said, chagrined. "Severus, have we come to kisses? We hardly know each other. I have to admit I want it, but what do you want? I'm the know-it-all. You never liked me. I'm a means to an end here. What happens when you are restored to a life?"

He looked at her and then pressed his lips to her forehead, again. "Then we live, Hermione. We live and we explore the future. I know what I'd like it to be. You have given me hope and made it easy for me to want. But you have to see if you will like the man I am when I'm not in your head. You might find me different. No one ever wanted me."

"Maybe we have this advantage; we know now what we are really like. It's not just what's on the outside, Severus. The outside may be different, but I will always know the real you," Hermione said.

The scene faded as the wheels of the plane hit the ground and jarred Hermione awake. She took a deep breath and squeezed the pendant. I'm coming, Severus.

Merrin, thank you for your excellent beta work. I'm so honored to have you checking over my story.

Suzanne, thank you for your Brit picking. It is much appreciated.