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December 23rd

(this is a shorter chapter, but get ready to be hit by the feels. LOTS.OF.FEELS.)

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YOUR POV

I ran through Hogsmeade; thank God that Professor Snape bought me some time to escape. But in my rush, I had left my heavy winter cloak in the bar and I was freezing. The harsh wind and snow seemed like nothing before, but now it was like a hundred daggers were fired at me; and I had no shield. After running for a while, I realized I was adrift in the snowy landscape: I was lost. I was in a forest, I think. There were lots of trees. Panting from the cold, I sat down in the snow. The next thing I knew, the world was slipping from my grasp.

SNAPE'S POV

Please be okay, please be okay, please be okay, I repeated in my head. If she got hurt, I'm not sure I could survive with the guilt. I wasn't running, but I was walking quicker than normal. I was following her footprints in the snow with ease. Having a history with Voldemort, I had picked up a few tracking tips from Fenrir Greyback. Apparently, she took a wrong turn and headed into.....I turned my head in the direction of her footsteps.

The Dark Forest.

Now I was running, snow flicking and flying off my shoes. There were many wild, dangerous, and mysterious creatures in the forest. Most of them were harmless unless you had done something to them before, or provoked them. The centaurs in that forest were quite fierce, but if you posed no threat they should leave you alone. I just had to get her out of there alive and would be fine. I kept running, but the freshly falling snow was making it harder than before.

"(Y/n!" I shouted. "(Y/N)!!!!!!"

Nothing. All that answered me was the silence of the wind. No, no, no! Please don't be dead, please don't be dead, please don't be dead... I kept running along whatever was left of her footprints. My sides ached, my lungs stung, and my feet warned me they wouldn't last much longer, but I kept going. I wasn't going to give up, not now.

She's dead, a voice in my head whispered. She's dead, and you could've prevented it at the bar...but you were so strung up and angry with that Draco boy, weren't you? The world started closing in around me. It felt like a bag was being thrown over my head, and my body being dumped into a river.

"Expecto Patronum!" I shouted.

I twirled my wand, thinking hard about lying in the meadow with Lily Evans on that breezy summer day. Only a sliver of white and florescent blue came out from the wand. What?! I tried again.

Nothing.

I thought of another memory of Lily and another, but they didn't work. My heart receded painfully. My chest felt like it was turning to pure marble. Lily....my only friend was now only a memory that I couldn't use to bring myself any happiness. I thought of another memory, seeing (y/n) for the first time. Seeing her smile, her hair moving with the wind. Her (y/e/c) eyes looking at me with a sparkle. Without warning, my wand blossomed a doe which pranced around playfully, leaving a trail of white, blue, and silver magic in the air. it nudged my hand, and I gave it a soft pet on it's silvery head.

"Lead the way." I said.

The doe bounded over snow-covered logs and stones, leaving me to follow. I ran after it, making sure it was always in my sight. A Patronus charm reflected your emotions about the memory, so this doe was rather....jumpy. Like some puppy...or extremely happy hedgehog. She bounded over a frozen stream and started sniffing a grey and black clothed humanoid.

There she was.

I quickly approached her, summoning my Patronus back at the same time. I put a gloved finger to her neck to take a pulse. She was alive, but dying. Her skin was a pale white, and an unnatural blue hue scattered around. Her hair was now darker/lighter looking than before. I pulled out a vial of a warming potion and fed it to her. I didn't seem to be working. A thought popped into my head, what if I used body heat as well? Not thinking on the consequences of that, I tightly embraced her.

"P-P-P-Profes-sor?" said a familiar voice. Her (y/e/c) eyes were fluttering open at last. I let go of her.

"I'm here, (Y/n). You got lost in the snow and I found you. Now, hang on. I'm getting you to the hospital wing.."

I took off my cloak and wrapped it around her. Lifting her up while she wrapped her arms around my neck lazily, I apparated us into the Hospital Wing.

I barged into the room, and said calmly, "Miss (y/l/n) needs medical attention. She got lost in the forest on her way back to the castle and she is showcasing symptoms of frostbite. I found her just in time."

"Severus, help her onto the bed over there and then leave. I will need to attend to her personally."

I carefully supported her over to the bed and laid her down. She looked quite peaceful when she was asleep. Hopefully, she wouldn't remember any of this. It would be for the better. I considered using 'obliviate' but I decided against it. She already had taken a beating, and there was no need to erase part of her memory which was only a few minutes long. Making sure she was secure on the bed, I strided out of the Hospital Wing, bidding Madame Pomfrey a good night.

I arrived in my office and shut the door. I sat at my desk and finally began to grade papers. Glancing at them, I decided that tonight was going to be a long night. I took a glance at the corner of my desk. When would I give it to her? Tomorrow was Christmas Eve, so perhaps I could give it to her then? I didn't even know if she would be conscious tomorrow...an idea sparked into my head. Hm...yes, that would work. Content on the thought, I graded papers through the night.