“Look! Now look at that, Margret!”, she laughed. “See? Look at the spoon! I’ve mastered one of the hardest transfigurations! I’ve turned myself – fat!”
Everyone around laughed with her, some shaking their heads, as she blew up her cheeks while marvelling at her own reflection on the polished metal tool.
“What d’you reckon she wants us to do with those?”
“Turn them into forks, of course, Miss Abercombie.”
The equally amused smirk silenced them all immediately. Clacking heels resounding from the old walls, she paced through the rows, towering each and everyone, her grey hair in its usual knot beneath her high hat. Some of them swallowed hard when their looks met with hers.
“A much more achievable endeavour, seeing as not even last evening’s feast has managed to put at least little weight onto your bones.”, not having lost the mischievous smile, she gave Abercombie a knowing glance over her spectacles, causing subdued giggles in all rows. “Good morning, class.”
“Good morning Professor McGonagall!”, was the unified response, and the giggles continued, when another girl scurried into the back row.
“Ah, Miss Pierce. What a surprise. For once you arrive only one minute too late. Very well. It looks like everyone else is – where is Mr Malfoy?”, her eyes scanned the rows multiple times, fruitless. “Mr Malfoy! Where is he!”
“Dunno, Professor.”, chuckled a Ravenclaw boy. “You’d probably ask The Master where his dog got to.”
“Silence, Mr Owen. All of you. Potter?”, he only glared at the spoon on his desk that had been provided for him. “Do you happen to know where – ”
“Hospital Wing, Professor.”, Albus grumbled. “Serves him right.”
“What was that?”
“I said, he’s in the Hospital Wing.”, his grim eyes, only, turned to look at her from below. “Not that I endorse what’s happened to him, but I warned him. And so have you been warned, Ma’am.”
“What in the name of Merlin are you talking about.”, holding on to her desk, she put the other hand on her hip.
“Of course it is common news that – Professor Slughorn – doesn’t allow anyone at his parties under the age of fourteen. But the other common news is that younger students may join, should he deem them worthy for his notorious shelf, or should they be a representative. Scorpius took himself the liberty of representing me tonight. I warned him not to go, and see where he has landed.”
“I don’t fully understand – ”
“I don’t know what’s so hard to understand about this, Professor!”, he was on his feet, and the class fell completely silent at last. “You know as well as I do what Professor Slughorn is. And don’t give me that look. I don’t care if you give me a fifty points penalty or a week of detention. All that Horace Slughorn ever wanted, was to become famous. But he’s a coward, who can’t hold a speech in front of more than thirty people without stammering. So he decided to gain fame by knotting connections. He made everyone believe that he is the key to their success in our society. And he was right! Many wouldn’t be where they are now, if it hadn’t been for him! But also many others would be somewhere significant, if it hadn’t been for him. Everyone knows he likes to collect young and innocent witches and wizards he believes have more balls than he does, to climb up the steep ladder of fame. While in truth, he is also the spider who pulls back down those who either don’t want to, or aren’t strong enough to climb.”
“What is your point, Mr Potter.”
“My point, Professor, is the very same point my grandfather already tried to make your predecessor understand. Professor Slughorn has and is a problem. He should have never been allowed to teach.”
“Now what did your dear grandfather tell you. What stories – ”, she remained indifferent but was cut off.
“No stories. Facts. Things he has seen with his own eyes. He too warned you, that one day, Professor Slughorn would go too far. Not only with his alcoholism, but with how young his puppets are. And that is why my grandfather actually asked to replace him once again. That is why Professor Slughorn needs at least therapy, if not a cell in Azkaban. That is why Scorpius Malfoy lies in the Hospital Wing. Because dear. Horace Slughorn. Has gone too far. People praise you for how you protected this school and its students from intruders. While they, like you, overlooked, that you have given a roof and food and opportunities to nest, to the real, insidious monster, for many years.”
His uniform cloak bulging, Albus rushed off, not caring about any of the stares that followed his outraged steps. Only when the dead silent students turned their heads from the door back to her, Minerva noticed that the spoon by the now empty seat had turned into an ornate but very pointy fork.
~~#~~
Not a single drop had come from rainy clouds, and still, soaking wet, the browning grass and dark soil laid there, peaceful, no breeze brushing through the late morning fog. Her stomach revolted over the smell of breakfast remains and lunch in preparation coming from one of the faintly open windows, blaming herself for having eaten the second bowl. The mere thought of seeing more food, made her sick. She wasn’t even sure she would need supper at all. Lunch was cancelled for her, that much she knew for certain. Hushed voices had joined the smell and she knew they were wondering who had arrived within the shields. But it would be another while until they would get to see. Her flat hand on Igor’s left collarbone, she had stopped him from leaving.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come inside?”, she gargled.
“No.”, he replied definite but with a soft smile, making her nod. “I want to be back when Alastor wakes up.”
“Of course.”
“Are you sure you want to go in there? Do you really not want to wait until Severus comes home?”
“No. No,”, taking a deep breath, she continued with a steadier voice, “I think it’s better if I don’t. What I wanted to tell him, doesn’t matter anymore.”
“Why not?”
“It – just doesn’t.”, Hermione returned his smile. “He found his place and I think, it’s about time I accept that. Of course that doesn’t change that I carry his child, but if everything happens for a reason, also that did and we’ll find out soon enough why we were meant to go through that.”, despite the torus shaped fur collar of his scarlet cloak, she could see him swallow heavily.
“So you will keep the child?”
“I think so, yes.”
“Good.”, he coughed.
“Good?”, giggled Hermione confused. “Why’s that good for you?”
“I – ah – well – I – you know, I just – don’t want you to – uhm – murder your own child just because you want to have regards for me, you see.”
“Oh! No.”, she grinned woefully. “No. Really. And seeing as he has clearly made his decision as well already, I think I should keep it.”
Without the slightest warning, she found her cheek pressed to the surprisingly fluffy white fur, two arms wrapped around her back tightly, but not so tight he choked her. It was a desperate embrace, though for some reason, felt good. Unable to help, she returned it, feeling his warm breath on her neck that was bared due to her hair being twisted to a messy bun. At first his panting was fast, as if he had run a mile, but he calmed eventually, the firmness of his embrace becoming more and more comforting and she wondered if he was actually comforting himself, rather than her.
“Maybe it’s time,”, she whispered when they slightly parted, “That I too learn to accept things the way they are and make the best of it, instead of trying hard to shape the world and frustrate everyone over it, including myself. Besides, I need to rest. Tomorrow will be a busy day. As I told you, an Unspeakable is still missing, Fletcher died and I have to talk to the one who’ll replace him. A certain Irchard Deverick. Maybe Percy can tell me a bit more about him. They worked in the same office when Percy started at the Ministry.”
“Don’t overwork yourself.”
“That’s not overworking. It’s the job I should be doing and that Harry has to do today, simply because I wanted another chance to confront his father with unnecessary blame and questions he will never answer me, not in one hundred years. I should know better by now.”
“Perhaps.”, Igor sighed, the faint smile back to his lips, but not his eyes that gazed deep into hers and she feared he would fall in.
“Hm?”, she managed to actually startle him.
“What? Oh nothing. I just thought back on that night you tried to find out whether Severus taught his students how to dance.”
“What?”, by that, he almost managed to make her tear herself from the still lasting loose embrace. “So he did see me under the cloak?”
“I didn’t imply that. However, of course he had. But so had I. Before you ask, we never talked about it.”
“You – ”, the word left her with a sigh. “You weren’t even surprised you saw me there?”
“I may have been very insecure during that time, but that doesn’t mean I ignored the fact that it doesn’t benefit you if everyone knows your skills are high enough to make you able to see invisible people and objects. Once they know, they will do their best to find ways sneaking around and you will never learn their intentions.”
“So you purposely ignored me, trying to find out what I was up to as well?”
“Yes. Also I’m not dumb. You were after him, long before you knew yourself why actually.”
“Possibly.”
“I don’t know if you still remember, but also you and your friends once caught us alone in a corridor, some time before that night. I know the real reason Severus lead me away wasn’t because he wanted to distract me, but because we weren’t alone anymore.”, she literally shrunk in his arms, blushing heavily like she had then, just as if she was fifteen again. “Not that I saw you or anything, but Ginevra was with you, wasn’t she? And that nosy girl from India, who’s currently living her dream life of frills and bonnets in Japan.”
“Yes! Wait – you said you didn’t see us – ”, his notorious grin returned to his face.
“Something Severus never figured. I also never told him. He believes I he can never sneak up to me, as I can feel his presence. That is what he does. He can feel people’s presence. But I’m a dog.”
“No, you’re – ”
“A dog.”, he repeated, lips closed for a few seconds then, but the grin remained. “I smelled you by the entrance to the Slytherins’ common room. Even before we walked around the corner. Another reason why I wasn’t surprised.”
“And how do I smell? To you?”, now she actually tried to tear herself from him, but his strangely assuring arms stayed on her back with no chance to escape, though the troubling grin vanished.
“When you told me, that he had saved your life as well and that ever since it, you wanted to understand what kind of man he is, I related to you. That is why I answered your question as to how we met. You see, like you, I too swore to keep his secrets. But rather to myself than to him. It is my concern to protect his privacy. Because I care so much for him it is almost dangerous. By the look in your eyes I understood that we had something in common. So I decided to share more with you, knowing you weren’t only hungry for stories like Parvati Patil, but actually seeking to know him.”, her need for revolting blown away, his words brought tears to her eyes, tears of guilt.
“I’m not so sure we’re alike. I had to realise that I kept telling myself I love him. But I’m not sure anymore it isn’t just obsession.”
“Tz.”, he laughed briefly, quite self-ironic, she thought. “Sometimes the two aren’t too far apart. We both care so much for him that it frightens him in times.”
“True.”
“But still we care.”
Retrieving his left hand, he brushed a loose curl behind her right ear, the warmth of his fingers telling her that her ears were already getting cold, but she didn’t feel cold at all. For some reason, although she wore the same shoes she had come to Skye with, the leggings and the jumper over nothing but her underwear, a travelling cloak thrown atop, she wasn’t cold. Maybe it was because he had pulled her closer again without her previous notice. Anyhow, his loosely holding long fingers on her cheek and on her neck behind her ear, somewhat lifting her head, felt better than she wanted to admit. The way he ponderingly stroked his thumb over her cheek, told her that after all, he didn’t seem to hate women as much as everyone had ever thought.
“Back at the Quidditch World Cup, three and a half years ago – ”, Hermione gargled, “You said, that the man I was looking for, was dead. That he doesn’t exist anymore. Why did you say that?”, his gaze somehow told her that she should actually know the answer. “You wanted to get rid of me, didn’t you?”
“Do you honestly believe I still know exactly what I said three years ago? While I might remember many things in detail, I am not like Severus.”
“Of course not.”
“But why indeed. We had just accommodated to the new circumstances, and we had wanted to marry that year. Which we did, of course. We were as happy as we could be, in our situation. What would you have done?”
“I would have told his ex to get lost.”, she admitted nodding, bright red.
“Yes. But today I know I also feared you would destroy yourself on your search. Severus has changed. For the better. Though he is still human and humans tend to try to appeal. I didn’t want him to become again what he didn’t want to be anymore, just to please you and your idea of how he was that you had grown up with. Or maybe that is what my current self interprets it as. Maybe we both rely too much on our wishful thinking. But I know better now. I know that it actually doesn’t matter. Or at least I hope that you love him as much as I do. Enough to learn to love him again, how he is now, and not how he used to be when you fell in love with him.”
“Of course I don’t want to change him. I want to find out what he is like now, and learn to accept him the way he is. I want to love him with the respect he deserves.”
“And that is why I think it is good that you decided to keep the child.”, he whispered softly and his hand glided down onto her shoulder. “Because, if not you, who else would be the perfect mother for it. Who else in his life. Severus always wanted more children, but was never granted the chance. Of course that makes him more scared of it than having to change his entire life for it. He fears that he will lose you like he lost Lily and Charity. But I assure you, Hermione. I will protect you with my own life if I must, just so he doesn’t lose another unborn child with its mother. That is why, rather like him, I don’t think you can ever draw a wedge between him and me. That is why I let you into our house and spend the night with him. Because I don’t want to bereft anyone of what I myself cherish the most.”
~~#~~
“So?”
Not really in the mood for confrontation, she put the book down on the coffee table nevertheless, wrapping herself tighter in the quilt. It had started raining here too, but the rain came down straight enough Molly had decided to leave some windows open for fresh air. So, despite the fire being lit and November being only hours old, it crept inside as much as it could, even through the loops of her woollen jumper. Meanwhile she had removed her bra for comfort, but that also meant less clothes to cover her from the cool air.
“So?”, she grumbled. “Finally slept away your hangover?”
“Oh I wasn’t drunk.”, shrugging casually, he joined her on the sofa, to her right, where her feet were.
“Certainly.”
“Really. I wasn’t even at the party.”, that blew away her mood and replaced it with curiosity.
“Where were you then?”
“At Harry’s.”
“But he’s at work and you aren’t?”
“There’s nothing I need to do for him today and George gave me the day off beforehand. There just aren’t enough customers the week after Hallowe’en, you know that. Christmas starts too soon anyway. And why did you miss breakfast?”
“I had breakfast. And I already told Molly that I don’t need lunch either.”
“I saw you talking to Igor from our window. What did he want?”
“He only brought me home.”
“Really?”, Ron’s eyes widened. “I was tired, but I could swear, you were in bed when I went to sleep.”
“I was. Went there at seven.”
“He’s not working today either?”
“No. There’s a real storm going on up there. But Severus went to work regardless. Apparently enough people are caring for their graves in November.”
“Sounds logical. But he came home early, right?”
“No. I left early.”, that made Ron frown even more. “Don’t ask.”
“I would have stayed in the pool, honestly.”, he chuckled.
“Really.”, Hermione huffed. “But I’m not you. I left because I didn’t find it necessary to wait. Igor told me more than I needed to know.”
“And what did he tell you?”, somehow, he seemed uneasy.
“He’s okay with the baby.”
“Oh. Yeah. I know. He – he said that.”
“Now did he?”
“Yeah. Before Walpurgis attacked the druids. When he joined us in the secrecy bell. That’s why he actually came. Did he also tell you why he accepts the baby?”
“Because he believes he and I are very alike.”
“Oh.”, Ron’s tension fell off instantly. “Well, I guess, that’s good, in a way. Unless you start slicing people up, of course.”, he chuckled, but this time Hermione was too exhausted to pick back up the book, lean over and smack it onto his head. “Relax.”, he grinned upon her glare. “It just means we don’t have to worry that he’s gonna hate any of us.”
“I have a feeling that he actually wanted me to get pregnant.”
“What makes you think?”, the tension from before was back and made her really curious now.
“Just things he said. In his explanation. It was like he was trying to talk around it in a very polite way. What do you make of that?”
To her, Ron took an exceptionally long time to sort his words. So long she wondered if he knew something he wasn’t sure how he should tell her. Believing to understand the truth, a smirking chuckle escaped her, to her knees under the blanket.
“Whose idea was it?”, her eyes were back on him, finding him still weighing, but he decided for the truth, it seemed.
“Igor’s.”, Ron said sad, but appearing very relieved. “He wanted children.”
“He. Wanted children.”
“That’s what he said. But he also said he wanted a host mother who actually means something to Severus. Not just a womb they paid for.”
Sighing deep, she turned her head towards the fireplace, blinking heavily along her considerations. Somehow she was sure she would have thought very differently only months ago. But now, no matter how much she tried to tell herself that she had been abused in every aspect, she also knew, despite her long given up hope to have children with Severus, she wouldn’t have accepted it that way. By tricking her, all three of them actually got a similar wish granted, and no matter how she turned it, she understood that how ever deceitful it had been, it had been the only way. In the end, the child hadn’t been received forcefully. At least not entirely.
“I really hate Luna.”
“Luna?”, Ron faltered. “What’s she got to do with it?”
“She’s just too wise for this world. Remember when we were planning to break into Gringotts?”
“Yeah?”
“She said something then. `The least considerable logic might turn out to be the most brilliant idea´. And she was right. Then, and every single time she said something. Actually, anything. She was the first wanting to convince me it wasn’t Severus who killed all those former Death Eaters. In ways, she’d been right. Igor had. Severus arranged everything, but he didn’t kill them. She also told me to let him go, many many times, knowing that if I didn’t, none of us would be happy. Live and let live. Harry understood her. Much more than me, while it should have been me to understand her. But I’m too driven by logic. My own logic. So much, I won’t allow another logic.”
“No offence, but that’s true.”
“Sadly, yes. Worse, my logic is a desperate one, clinging to every reason it can get to be vindicated, no matter if it means something or not. So much I believed for more than nineteen years that Severus had created a Horcrux, simply because Luna asked me if he had turned his locket into one. I was so distraught that I clung to any piece of logic I could grasp, and in that split second, it made sense. So much sense I kept believing it. But if I hadn’t been so focused on my delusion, I would have been able to realise that if he had survived by creating a Horcrux, he couldn’t have physically murdered anyone so shortly after. Also who would have brought his body away. In fact, Dumbledore’s theory, years later, had made much more sense than that snippet of illogical consideration I took for a fact. And now that I know I’d been wrong, I wonder if Luna asked that deliberately. Actually, I’m pretty sure now that she did.”
“To test you?”
“Yes. To test how much I knew Severus. How much faith I had in the good in him. If I believed that his death had been selfless or if I believed that he had left open a most cruel loophole to grant his own survival. She’d been right. He had sworn to die for Harry. He’d sworn that if he would miraculously survive, he wouldn’t kill anyone anymore. He’d kept both and Luna had had the faith in him, actually I should have had. And that is why I should be ashamed. That is why I will keep the child. As a remedy. I think it’s meant to be my burden. The only apology that will ever be worth anything.”
~~#~~
Creaking, the old door opened, silencing murmurs all around. It even stopped her hands that were folded before her mouth, from trembling. Sighing deeply, with her eyes wide open in horror, she lowered them to the desktop. Steady at pace, he walked up to the podium as the door closed on its own, but he didn’t take a seat in the chair opposite to her.
“I ’ope ye’ve go’ a very good reason ter call fer me, jus’ as I mean’ ter come ’ome fer lunch.”
“Please sit down.”, she whimpered, her accent drifting through more than usually, but he wouldn’t. “P-please – please sit down. You will want to.”
“Very well,”, he sighed and did as asked, his legs crossed and each arm on one of the side rests. “Why.”
“I – I don’t know how to tell you – ”
“Tell me ’ow ye misjudged me warnin’? Why Draco is sittin’ nex’ ter a bed, cryin’ ’is eyes ou’ over tha bruises on ’is son’s face? Tha ones ’e can see? An’ those ’e can no’, knowin’ ’ey are there? Askin’ ’imself why ’istory ’as ter repea’ itself an’ why tha same thin’ ’ad ter ’appen ter ’is poor son, which ’is equally drunk father did ter ’im, no’ only once?”
“Y-you – you know – ”
“Course I know.”, he grunted at a bookshelf to his left, unwilling to look at her.
“How long has this been going – ”
“’Ow lon’ – ? ’Ow – I warned Dumbledore ages ago tha’ this would ’appen one day. But’ o’ course ’is frame is empty now. O’ course ’e go’ ou’ o’ tha affair, knowin’ ye’d called fer me; knowin’ I ’ad been righ’, all alon’. ’E trusted ’is friend, oh yes.”, he hissed straight at her. “Nut’in’ wron’ wit’ tha’, no. Bu’ ’e din’ trus’ me knowledge o’ wha’ alco’ol does ter people. ’E ’ad faith in ’is restrain’, while I knew ’t’was irresponsible faith. Yes, Horace Slughorn is a very composed man. Bu’ ’e’s also a victim o’ ’is flaws. An’ now those flaws created anuther victim o’ ’eir own. Tell me, Minerva.”, he said fierce, but not irate.
“Tell you what.”
“Tell me why it is always tha’ sum’thin’ mus’ ’appen in order ter make people understan’ potential dangers. Why does an eleven year ol’ boy ’ave ter end up in ’ospital, intoxicated be alco’ol, beaten ou’side – an’ inside, before people believe there is a danger?”
“And what do you suggest?”
“Sugg– ”, puffing, he broke off, pinching his eyes with two fingers.
“Poppy said – ”
“I know wha’ Poppy said. I know ’ow close ’e escaped, before ’e collapsed on ’er threshold. An’ I can only repea’ wha’ I asked ye, lil more than a month ago. Horace needs help. ’E needs serious ’elp. An’ ’e needs ter be brough’ far away from any source o’ alco’ol or children. I sugges’, ye lemme know as soon as possible when I can tell me boss tha’ I quit.”
~~#~~
Miraculously peaceful, the massive waves sat on his shoulders that were slightly lifted by his arms leaning on the side rests of the big dark leather chair his black robe nearly melted with. Almost leisure he hung in it, with curious anticipation, which however did not show. Hesitating a little, the man had stepped in upon his inviting call. The door, he didn’t need to close behind. It did so seemingly on its own, which momentarily stunned the man, although he too knew well to hide it. Not well enough however. Stroking over his beard, he turned from the door, looking around.
“That is quite a jungle you have in here, Mr Potter.”, not a chuckle escaped him, not even a smile, but Harry could see the amused confusion, which he met calmly.
“I like to surround myself with equals.”
“You consider yourself as a plant?”, there was the chuckle he had waited for, with the pale marbles drifting along the vines around.
“I consider myself human.”
“Really.”, the eyes lastly lingered on him, if though the face didn’t entirely straight, shifting from one angle to another.
“You see, plants, are like humans. Give them good soil, nutrients, water, just the right amount of light, and they will flourish. They will grow big, strong, and old. Neglect them and they die. Bereft them of what they need and they die. Plants are like friends. They listen. And they tell us what we did wrong. Even more, they grant us what we need the most.”
“Which is?”
“They allow us to breathe.”, at last, a smile laid itself on Harry’s lips, infecting his opposite.
“I – ”, nodding with a curious smirk, he sorted his words. “Cannot help but like your idea. But you know what plants also do? They don’t fight back. They are the better pet.”
“Depends very much on the plant. Just as it depends on the pet, or the person. Some don’t fight back, yes. But others do, in the most unexpected ways.”, the other’s smile froze a little, but he had expected no less. “Now.”, Harry nodded to the chair on the opposite side of the desk, crossed his legs and folded his fingers on his lap, his head tilted like the other’s. “Why don’t you take a seat, Mr Deverick.”
“Of course.”, exceptionally graceful the man opened the gilded chain on his thick auburn cloak and hung it over the back rest before he sat down, revealing a simple but golden embroidered crème robe.
“Tea?”, from a side table, a kettle glided over, already filling a cup that sat down before him, and another, on Harry’s side.
“It seems, your kettle doesn’t allow me to dispute.”
“Oh it knows you hold manners high, Mr Deverick.”
“An intelligent kettle. Not only does it know my mindset, but also my preferred flavour of tea. Who would have tho- ”, he broke off with the cup and saucer in hand, his lips almost touching already.
“Yes?”, Harry too lifted his cup and took a sip, making sure the other heard it and saw it wander down.
“Nothing.”, he grumbled and carried on.
“Did you honestly think I’d put Veritaserum in it?”
“Veritaserum? Why not poison?”
“You are here because tradition abides us to get to know each other. Democracy abides it. If I wanted to kill you, I wouldn’t make it as obvious, seeing as everyone knows where exactly you are right now.”
“True.”
“And I have no need for using Veritaserum on you, on our first meeting already. Unless of course, you confess; or insist; right now, that I should. Or is there a reason for you to fear being targeted by an Auror?”
“Naturally, not. You can trust me.”, he placed the saucer on the desk and wiped back a strand that had come loose from his light ginger ponytail.
“Of course I can. Doesn’t mean I will.”, Harry’s smirk grew bigger, so did Deverick’s, and gained a hue of resentment.
“Same. But you are right. I head the Department of International Magical Cooperation now. What a fool would I be, if I strove for blocking cooperation in our own rows?”
“What a fool, indeed.”
“Say, where is your friend, Mrs Weasley?”
“My boss, you mean?”
“Your boss, yes. I was to meet her today.”
“As you clearly noticed, she isn’t here today. But I am, as her deputy. And really, we both know that you rather have this conversation with me, in her stead.”
“Why is that what you think?”, after another sip, he put the cup down as well, while Harry still held his languidly.
“To hit two birds with one stone? Save time? Also, she likes to control. Likes to know everything and wants everyone to know that she does. I on the other hand, prefer to place the figures and let the game unfold. She’s a referee, to say. But I, actually played Quidditch. Hermione Weasley wishes people to lay open information to her. For myself, I can say, I find bigger pleasure in having people voluntarily reveal facts. She searches for the players’ flaws to punish them, while I look out for the Snitch, catch it and end the game, nullifying all reason for fraud and punishment to even become necessary. Of course that doesn’t mean I can’t face a fight. Or don’t want to. If necessary, I fight. But woe betide.”, with his second sip, he too placed his cup on the saucer and his right hand joined the left on his lap again. “Now you know where I stand, on this huge chess board that is the upper rank of Ministry officials. Welcome to the game. What is the position you chose?”
“I, Mr Potter,”, he leant over with an impish grin, “Shall be a Knight.”
“Of course.”, Harry smiled, self-satisfied.
“And now?”, the brief wiggle of Harry’s eyebrows, clearly directed on his chest, confused him for a second.
“White moves first.”, eyes switching between his crème robe and the black of Harry’s, he clearly understood, by the bright laugh that escaped him. “Yes?”, Harry still smiled.
“You,”, conductingly pointing his finger on Harry, he calmed down. “Clearly do your best to make me like your way of thinking, Mr Potter. I accept the match.”
~~#~~
Bright were the flashes that travelled between the clouds. Roaring, the lions on their silver brooms, travelled at light’s speed, causing tears to fall down on earth, as they unleashed a battle so gruesome. Soaking the ground, with grief, and yet, bringing the essence of life. Bringing laughter. The laughter of two little boys that looked like one, equally mud-smeared, wallowing, fighting a battle of their own, but so full of joy, splashing the clouds’ tears everywhere. A gentle smile from their father, up in the window, where he studied book after book. He knew the thunderstorm wouldn’t hit them. He knew, because his wife was watching over them. She had created an electricity repellant shield after the last lightning had hit the wind wheel on top of their whimsical house and nearly caused a calamity.
Now the boys were having fun without needing to fear getting hit. Even when the ear thrashing noise filled the whole area and a sizzling white bolt pelted against the cupola, freezing their friendly fight for a second. Smiling, under the little roof by the open door, their mother’s eyes followed the blasted lightning, its racket and force absorbed by her magic.
“That’s – yeah. Impressive.”, chuckled her friend by her side, equally wrapped in a thick cloak.
“It’s pretty, yes.”, she smiled, her soft voice somehow stronger than the storm and the boys’ laughter.
“Marvellous.”
“So are you.”, her head turned to the right, causing her friend to snicker with embarrassment. “No, really. You seem to have a strange talent.”
“I’m told to have many talents. But I don’t consider any of them strange, in particular.”
“Oh I’m not talking about talents as others would define them. You see, I noticed, you have a talent for being pregnant at around the same times as she is.”, faltering, Ginevra frowned at her.
“Now that you say it, yeah. Or she has a talent for syncing up with me. Although it took her two tries of mine.”
“Or that. Then both of you have a talent. Because it’s always the opposite.”
“Opposite?”
“Well,”, Luna returned to watching the boys, “When you had a boy, she had a girl. And when you had a girl, she had a boy. I believe, it will be the same this time.”
“Do you? Well, then I wish her good luck.”, Ginevra chuckled, her look on the children again as well and she straightened her ponytail of dreadlocks. “Because if you’re right, it’s gonna be interesting.”
“It will be interesting, yes. After all, she still ignores what Severus already tried to tell her.”
“What did he try to tell her?”, Luna only looked at her once more, her dreamy but knowing smile remaining, “Yes?”
“Yes.”, and looked down on the muddy meadow again, making Ginevra sigh out the understanding.
“Fantastic.”
“Oh absolutely. Also it’s not like he isn’t prepared.”
“How can anyone be prepared for twins?”
“Has he never told you?”
“And what?”
“About the dream he kept having?”
“Do you mean the one with the girl in the white mist? That’s mingled with blood?”
“Now is it blood?”
“Is it?”
“I would say, it depends very much on the point of view.”
“Point of view.”, Ginevra laughed dull. “Nice pun. Seeing as the girl holds a mirror, but he can’t see what reflects in it.”
“Thank you. I’m glad you noticed.”
“She herself reflects in it.”, she voiced the logical consequence of a mirror. “Why d’you think the dream explicitly refers to Hermione being pregnant?”
“It’s simple, isn’t it? Do you know of the prophecy Sybill Trelawney made, during the second war?”
“Yeah. He told me. He too thinks it’s referring to that dream, somehow.”
“Do you know the exact words?”
“I – oh my – you’re right!”
“Of course I am.”, Luna said after a brief pause; that cost Ginevra a laugh, but Luna’s smile remained the same.
“All of it came true! That the three of them would kill almost five hundred people, until they revealed themselves to our world, of course that with the sea of blood, that – what did she mean by having to wait `until silver falls from a loving hand for the second time´?”
“Hmm. I think, seeing as the prophecy was meant for him, you should ask Severus. After all, it must have happened, and he must have realised. Otherwise the veil wouldn’t have been lifted. You see, prophecies have a tendency of becoming true. Because, for some reason, there will always be someone around who hears them. Knowledge of the future, makes people either so scared or so eager that they act exactly in the ways that lead to the fulfilling of the prophecy, in any way, however vague or precise it may be. Knowledge is dangerous. It kills our belief that everything we do is our free will. The one or the other way.”
“I can’t help seconding this.”, Ginevra sighed. “But would you say, knowledge hurts?”
“Depending, yes, but I don’t think it would hurt you if I told you it’s really not that hard. It’s like having one child, with two bodies. You may have double the work, but they have double the fun.”
Looking straight at each other, they shared a laugh that was, again, stronger than the lions above.
~~#~~
Counting drop after drop that he heard hit the glass, he stared into the room, arms crossed, leaning against the frame of the double door, only one of them open. Lost in a different world, was the one he looked at. Otherwise he would have noticed him long ago. The one he meditated at, appeared asleep. Maybe he was, at last. Drop after drop. Thirty thousand, one hundred and seventy two. Nearly three, when she came to halt by his side. The time it had taken more than thirty thousand drops of water to hit the total of windows of the room, was how long it had taken her to join him. If he had been somebody else, somebody who attempted their lives, they would have been dead by now. And she as well.
Over and over, while counting at the same time, he had told himself that he shouldn’t have that thought. That it was safe. But his truth was, the last time he had been up in the tower, everyone had thought the same, for centuries. Yet not long after, they had all been proven wrong. Of course people said it was even safer now. To him however, safety was a variable. Nothing was ever fully safe. Not even with what was considered the safest place. Especially not, if the danger rested within. Taking a deep breath, he waited for her to talk to him. And she did, if only in a whisper.
“I wish I knew what happened. Neither of them wants to tell me.”
“You don’t.”
“I don’t?”
“Well, maybe, you do. Depending on how sacred your own sanity is to you.”
“You scare me, Severus!”, she moaned, still quiet however. “What is going on here! It’s not the first time I’ve had a first-year on my beds, after some Hallowe’en prank went wrong! Or did he quarrel with someone? Was it – Albus Potter? Is that why the boy hasn’t been here yet? I noticed they normally stick together like flies to honey!”
“No, Albus tried to prevent it.”
“So he did duel?”
“Have you examined him?”, he wouldn’t take his eyes off the bed yet.
“Of course I have. He has been beaten quite a bit. Not the worst I have seen though. Some Quidditch players I had on my beds, had looked worse.”
“Have you. Examined him.”, now he did turn his head towards her, making her shrink under her own confusion.
“Yes!”
“No, you haven’t.”, he lightly shook his head, lips staying ajar.
“Now you really scare me. What happened to him.”
“Have you had others, looking like that?”
“Of course! This is a school! The kids jostle! You should know so! And not all of them come to me, or tell me. I don’t ask, if they’re not telling me. It is their business. But whom has he quarrelled with, that you turn up here!”
“I am not talking about whippings among teenagers.”, he said grim “Have you noticed anything that made you curious. Worried you. About another student.”
“Now that you say it, last year, this sixth-year; now in seventh; Roderic Lesley, I saw him with a very peculiar black eye and he was limping strangely. He’s a straight O student and it seemed unusual to me that he had gotten into a fight. But maybe he had, seeing as those always have admirers that might go too far. But that is all I can think of right now. If we are talking about non-magical – ”
“What House is he in?”
“Why?”
“Because I need to talk to him.”
“Ravenclaw of course. Severus what – ”
But he had already taken off, crossing the castle flying, eventually invisible so he wouldn’t attract the attention of passers-by or portraits. Landing below the great marble staircase, he became visible again and walked on, straight through the open gilded doors. Students and staff alike were stopping or changing their conversations, but he didn’t care that he had interrupted their lunch as he wasn’t granted his either, although he was so angry he couldn’t have even swallowed a single mouthful. Along the hushed questions, he walked all the way to the middle of the Ravenclaw table until he turned swiftly, looking up and down on it, for the face he had seen flicker behind Poppy’s eyes, but couldn’t spot it immediately.
“Mr Lesley?”, he asked calm but loud enough to deaden the murmurs. “Roderic Lesley?”
“That’s me,”, a tall blond straightened, unsure like all, what was going on.
“Follow me.”
“Why.”, he grunted.
“Please,”, there was nothing begging in Severus’ exaggeratingly annoyed hiss.
“What would you want with Lesley?”, someone called from the staff table and he neither believed his ears, nor his eyes, that shortly looked at him, before they got stuck on Minerva.
“Why did I even bother coming here.”, he snorted. “What is this!”
“Severus – ”, she breathed, but was silenced.
“I know my name perfectly well; thank you. Why – ”
“Oh can’t you think of any logical reason?”, she too knew how to be a dragon, on her feet. “Wasn’t it you, who wanted a smooth transition?”
“That was before tonight. Apparently you are blind to the seriousness of the matter.”
“What matter?”, Lesley had raised as well. “What are you accusing Professor McGonagall of, Sir?”
“What indeed!”, the one two seats to her left moaned.
“You know perfectly well what is going on, Horace.”, his fury remained, but his tone had become definite. “Unless, of course, you have no memory of last night. I sadly cannot fully blame you for that. But I blame you for not taking the right action, decades ago. Shows what a coward you are, not standing by your own weaknesses. There is no shame in consulting help, Horace. But there should be shame in denying problems that cause harm you never wished to be inflicted.”, as if a Giant’s fist had hit him in the lungs, he fell back in his chair. “Allow me to give you a hint. Tonight you destroyed what was left of the only one you ever valued as much as you value yourself. And you, Mr Lesley, will come with me.”
“Where!”, with steady steps, he closed up to him, coming to stand opposite, only the meal crammed table between – the other students had slid apart on the benches with uncertainty. “Why!”
“So I can take down your statement, for the Board of Governors, seeing as the entirety of this school’s staff, including the Headmistress, have been incapable of coming together within hours of knowledge.”
“My statement? What does that mean! I’ve not done anything wrong!”
“No. Not you have. But unless anyone else wishes to speak up, you are my only hope to put an end to this. The correct, lawful end.”, in his opinion, the boy did well trying to hide what dawned on him, but as he, regardless of his anger, still wanted to keep it within senses of reverence, he held out his hand, which instantly confused the student of course. “I trust you have successfully taken your Apparition Certificate.”, the boy’s light brown eyes flicked between his face and hand.
“Nobody who isn’t an Elf, a Phoenix or a legitimate authority, can Apparate within Hogwarts’ boundaries.”, he murmured knowingly.
“I know,”, Severus said calm. “I was merely meaning to prepare you. It will feel alike.”
“It?”, he now gave his own hand a brief but gentle nod.
Roderic wasn’t the only to hold his breath, but his curiosity had won the battle over his caution. Slowly, he stretched out his own arm. Just when he meant to close his fingers around Severus’, the latter reached out further, grabbing his forearm tight, causing the boy to do the same without thinking. Only about five seconds later, blinded by the white gleam around the grey whirl he had been in, he tumbled backwards against the wall of a blue lit corridor, finally releasing his breath, heavily and swallowing in between. The two firm hands on his shoulders pressing him closer to the bricks startled him, but he was too shocked to bridle.
“Are you alright?”, Severus whispered terse.
“Uh-huh – ”, Roderic could only nod quickly.
“Sorry about that. I had to get you out and away from everyone’s looks as fast as I could. It was foolish of me to hope you’d come quietly.”
“What – what d’you want.”, puffing a few more times, he calmed down. “Sir.”
“What I said.”
“Why would I need to make a statement to the Governors.”
“You know why.”
It took him another moment to settle down. A moment in which Severus reduced the pressure on the teenager’s shoulders. Biting his lips, the boy was uncertain what to look at, but seeing as there were only the options of the corridor and the man who towered him by two inches, he decided to face the inevitable.
“Who are you.”
“You are a clever young man. Certainly you have heard a lot of me by now.”
“I meant other than someone who decided to take justice in his own hands. I heard, vigilante execution is your thing.”
“Was. For now.”
“For now. Yeah. Now you seem to have changed your field of expertise.”
“No. I merely lost my patience.”
“Patience.”
“You ask who I am? I am someone who loves his son more than probably anything. And seeing as you couldn’t bring up the courage to reveal to your parents what has happened to you;”, struggling, Roderic desperately tried to look away, “Which is no crime by the way; I find myself responsible to report what I should have reported almost fifty years ago. Sadly I had enough faith that nothing like this would ever happen. How wrong I was. There are factors that erase principles and even the last ounces of morals, sometimes without the culprit’s knowledge. But that doesn’t make it less a crime.”, at last, the boy’s tears had won the fight.
“How do you know.”, he whimpered, biting his own lips even more, eyes on the silver buttons of the dark bluish grey vest before him. “Who told you to talk to me. I haven’t told anyone.”
“I asked Madam Pomfrey if she had noticed anything suspicious. I believe she is, as we stand here, still trying to riddle it out herself, but I have seen through her eyes what she had seen last year and I recognised what I had wiped aside, during the time I had been a student myself.”, very slow, the boy raised his head, tear washed eyes gazing into sad ones. “And it pains me to admit, that I had. That I had been the only one to know, apart from those who had experienced this horror. As I said, Professor Slughorn might not even be aware of what he had done, several times already, but I think he understood, just now, that action needs to be taken. I can comprehend that you don’t want your parents to know just yet. I can walk you through this without their notice. I know someone who can extinguish rumours before they leave this castle’s walls. Unfortunately, as I said, you are my only hope. I cannot force Scorpius Malfoy to bring up the strength and talk about it in front of a dozen people or more. Many of the others died in the wars or since. Alas, you are the only person left to speak up.”
“B-but – you say, he doesn’t even know what he did – ”
“No, he doesn’t. In another system of law however, he would be imprisoned regardless. In another world, that would be my wish. But I believe in the good in him. That he indeed didn’t mean to. And that is why I merely want him suspended, for the rest of his remaining life. And that he takes a therapy. I suggest you too, take a therapy. I have a friend at St Mungo’s.”
“Mr Carlisle?”, that cost Severus a chuckle.
“Indeed you know more about me than you want to admit. But, as much as I have made it a habit to prevail my very own justice, I have also been permitted to do so, by someone in the right position. Biased, of course, but still. Now I want to go the appropriate way, and seeing as – Professor McGonagall – is incapable of handing out a sentence to someone she had considered a colleague for more than half a century, we will have to walk the long way around. Yet know that I cannot and will not force you.”
“If it’s true – ”, he composed himself with a sniff, “That there are others – ”
“It is.”, Severus confirmed quietly.
“That I’m not the only one he – he – raped – but – but that I’m the only one left who can do something – ”, he wiped his eyes dry with the back of his hand, “I’m ready to tell. Every detail if I have to. Of all four times.”, Severus nearly let go of him. “But only if you promise me one thing, Sir.”
“Anything.”, he nodded bleakly.
“If it’s true, what the younger Potter boy says, and that you offered to take in Professor Slughorn’s place a while ago already, promise that you will – and – ”
“Yes.”
“And that if you do, that you will have me repeat my O.W.L. in Potions.”
“Why?”
“I want to be able to say I received an O because I worked for it, not because I spread my legs.”
~~#~~