Snape opens the door and Therion slips in quickly, clearly agitated. Before any words are spoken, Therion holds a finger to his lips and meets Snape's eyes directly. We can't leave like this, he thinks. Dementors, he makes a circle in the air, and Snape looks at Malfoy. Therion thinks to them, there have been a few developments in the last couple of hours, and it's not very safe to travel. We'll have to go on the wing. Snape nods and Malfoy grabs Snape's robe. I can't...I've never tried it, I don't know how--he thinks, his heart begining to race. He's so close to the light at the end of the tunnel, he can't stand the thought of anything stopping him from reaching it.

Therion places a steadying hand on Malfoy's shoulder and thinks, relax, Lucius. It's as easy as becoming black mist. We'll show you. Snape extinguishes the lights as they move to the back of the bungalow. In the bathroom, there is a small window just above the shower, and Therion opens it as the other two wizards follow him in. "Alright," he says softly, "think of the animal you wish to become, and just let go. Let it happen. You'll be fine." Therion closes his eyes and takes a deep breath; as he exhales his knees give, and before he's hit the floor, he has become a gorgeous golden brown raven.

Snape and Malfoy watch as Therion hops up to the side of the bathtub, then flits up to the open window. He turns and looks down at them, cawing softly. Snape looks at Malfoy and takes his hand for the briefest of moments, then begins his transformation. His eyes flutter closed as he draws in that long, deep breath, and he exhales as he sees the raven in his mind; his body obeys the need to be, and then he is, hopping up onto the side of the tub, then flitting up to take his place beside Therion. Malfoy looks up at them in wonder for a moment or two and considers all the possibilities, the possibilities of a life he once thought beneath him.

He remembers Cambion, and how beautiful he thought the creature was, a true blending of nature and magic. Such a creature could only have been born of true love, and as he looks up at his transformed lover, he feels a pang of longing...he wants to know what it's like, and it is that very want that propells his transformation. Therion was right, it is as easy as becoming black mist; one second he's a man dressed in a faded grey suit and black cloak, the next he is a raven, clad in feathers of silver and smoke grey. The two in the window caw down at him encouragingly, and then he's hopping and flitting up to them.

He's thrilled. The very experience of being is totally different in that form, and he begins to understand why some Magicals choose to become Animagi. Snape trills softly and preens him playfully, making him laugh. I love you, Snape thinks to him and he preens Snape back. This is lovely, Therion thinks to them, chuckling, but we really must go. He scans the sky and tells them to follow him, then takes to the air. As Snape and Malfoy leave the bungalow behind, they see dementors gliding along just below them as if they were not even there.

Why don't they notice us? Malfoy asks, and Snape tells him, because in these forms there is not enough human emotion for them to detect. Therion banks to the right and they follow him closely. Right, Therion thinks, Remus told me that was how Sirius Black survived Azkaban. He spent most of his twelve years there as Padfoot. Dementors left him alone. Snape caws loudly. You've spoken to Lupin? Recently? Therion glances back at Snape as he drops altitude and they do the same. He's in the city, Severus, he and Tonks. The situation is a bad one, he tells them.

Oh, Severus, Malfoy thinks, I don't know that I can face them...they hate me, you know they do, I admit they have a right to, especially after the Department of Mysteries--Both Therion and Snape are chattering at him as they near the city, both telling him not to be afraid or hesitant, telling him that both of them had to face and accept their pasts when they turned, and that he must do the same if he is to achieve what they have. And Lucius, Therion thinks as they approach the unseen Magical barrier, the fact that you have made it even this far proves you're stronger than you think you are.

They pass through the barrier and Therion comes in for his landing looking like a dwarf eagle about to catch a fish.

He loves this.

His right foot touches ground first and he actually makes a running landing. When he releases his Animagus form he's still running; he stops suddenly and turns with a flourish of his cloak, laughing. Snape lands as though it is nothing unusual, as though he does this every day. He folds his wings back, and when his form shifts he's crouched; he straightens, smoothes out his cloak and turns around to watch Malfoy's landing. The silver and grey raven comes in at an odd angle, lands much too quickly, and off-balance. He hits the ground, flips over onto his back, and struggles to right himself.

None of the onlookers laugh. Snape goes to him and picks him up gently, then checks him thoroughly. "Are you alright?" He asks him and Malfoy caws softly. Snape sits him down and waits for him to release himself; when he does Snape takes hold of his arm to steady him. "Well," Malfoy says, "shifting and flying are easy...it's the landing that's going to need work." Now there's laughter, and Malfoy actually laughs at himself with them as he brushes off his clothes.

"Ah, I get it," says a young wizard standing nearby, "his hair and clothes are black, so he's black...your hair and clothes are brown so you're brown, and his--" Therion gives a non-committal half-shrug. "Something like that, yes." He extends a hand toward the young man and says, "Severus Snape, Lucius Malfoy, this is Zack Allen. He is one of our city's Honor Guard." The young man bows respectfully to the wizards, smiling widely. "I just completed my training. It's my first night," he says with pride. Snape thinks he can't be more than seventeen, maybe eighteen. Does he know what he may be facing? He doesn't expect an answer, but when Therion gives him one, he is not surprised by it.

He has a reasonably good idea, yes. He knows about the First Wizarding War, he knows what may happen now. As they move toward the few shops still open, the onlookers following behind them, Therion says, "Irena has stayed open so Lucius can find something for tonight." They step in to the shop and Malfoy thinks it's just as fine as any of the clothiers he's frequented, and immediately something catches his eye. Therion introduces Malfoy to Irena, then tells him to choose whatever he likes and not worry about expense because it's taken care of.

Malfoy looks stunned for a second, then asks Therion why he's doing this. He tells him, "Because, Lucius, I was once where you are now, and I remember what it was like. But I didn't have anyone to help me...I was totally alone here, and I felt totally alone in the world. You're very lucky; you're loved, more than I think you know. I want to see you succeed. Many of us don't." He looks away for a second, as if suppressing powerful emotions, then tells Malfoy that he and Snape will be waiting for him outside.

Snape is outside alone when Therion steps out of the shop, and asks him where Elsbet is. Therion tells him, "I took the liberty of making arrangements for her; she's in a nice little house in the Lake District. It's furnished for her, so she's comfortable. Tonks is with her now." They walk over to a pair of benches outside a candy shop called The Chocolate Cat and sit down. "Severus, things are bad. For the first time in the memory of even the oldest residents here, Sanctuary City is closed. The only reason Lucius was allowed in is because his Ordeal was already set for tonight. Remus and Tonks barely made it here alive."

Snape looks out at the dry fountain, then up at the starry sky. "What could possibly have happened between five and seven o'clock?" He looks back at Therion, and he can see the other wizard is clearly exhausted. "I don't know how to tell you this, Severus, but Greyback knows about Ellie. Cambion was making a scout flight and on his way back in, he flew over the pond. It didn't look right to him, so he checked it out. The fish have been killed and the water has been fouled. When he flew over Ellie's house..." he pauses, still trying to deal with the image of what his companion saw..."Severus, just a few feet from the barrier around her house, the bastard had slaughtered an animal and left the horrific mess for her to find. Even with the massive Disillusionment shield he knew her house was there. Greyback and his Wolf Pack are out in force tonight. And," he sighs, "Ted Tonks is on the run."

Snape seems to not have heard the last bit about Tonks' father. "Does Elsbet know about..." he can barely speak; he knows how terribly such a violation will affect her. "No," Therion says, "no one has told her. We've only told her that we feel she's safer here. She didn't argue, though she wanted to get some things from home." Snape nods slightly and asks very quietly what animal had been killed, and Therion hesitates. He can see the realization in Snape's eyes. Snape begins to rise slowly and Therion whispers,

"a doe."