THE TRAPPINGS OF OFFICE
Disclaimer: Any body, thing or place you recognise does not belong to me but to J K Rowling and I make nothing from my use out of them except a strange satisfaction.
Summary: Set after Takeover and Sacrificed to the Sword and based at Hogwarts during Book 7. The staff continue to do their best to protect their students and each other while Severus manipulates people, perceptions and situations all around them. MM, SS, PP, PS & FF
PART 2.
Filius ensured one last time that all of his students were where they were supposed to be before heading towards the hospital wing, via the kitchens for chocolate biscuits of course. He had to admit that he was looking forward to a couple of hours of company and some peace and quiet. The preceding months had been hard on them all, so many different stressors and different responsibilities pulling them in so many different directions it was a wonder that they hadn't all ripped at the seams.
Instead, the disintegration was a little less dramatic in most of them. Minerva was stretched to the point of breaking; she was permanently exhausted, even before Snape began keeping her in his office to the small hours of the morning. She refused to give though, whether it was asking for help with some of her ridiculous workload or even in admitting to any of them what it was that was happening in those late night meetings.
Poppy and Pomona were dealing with the stress in their own way, both trying to mother everyone into an early grave. Though he understood the need to feel like they were able to do something, Merlin knew he had been more than a little over protective of the students himself of late, but this tactic was proving more successful with some than others. Minerva and Poppy's relationship in particular was suffering as the mediwitch wanted to do nothing more than help and the Gryffindor was determined to hang onto her independence and the last vestiges of her pride. And Filius, Filius was just trying to keep them all together.
He didn't know what kind of game it was that Severus was playing, but he did know that whatever happened they had a much better chance of surviving, of protecting the children in their care if they were working together.
The two women were already ensconced by the fire in Poppy's office, just off the main ward, when he arrived, three steaming mugs of hot chocolate waiting on the table.
"I come bearing gifts," he declared jovially. "the best the House Elves had to offer."
"Thank you." Poppy said with a smile, taking the plate from him and clearing a space for it. "How are you faring this evening?" she asked.
"I'm quite well, thank you for asking. And yourself?"
"Better than some." Poppy said with a quiet smile.
"I spoke to Minerva a little while ago. She's… not looking forward to tomorrow and she's concerned." Pomona chimed in, reaching forward to snag her mug and a chocolate bourbon.
"That's hardly a surprise." Filius pointed out. Minerva had spoken to him weeks ago about getting the students back to Kings Cross and safely to their parents. "But, we do know that when it comes down to it though, Minerva can handle herself."
"I just…"
"I know." Filius cut in. "But all we can do is be there for when she does ask or when she can't help herself." He said firmly. "I have done a little work already. I'll know when she comes back in tonight and I'll get at least an impression of her condition." It hadn't been easy working that kind of charm work without it being suspicious but he believed he had pulled it off well enough, and the burden it eased on his own mind, never mind his friends' was well worth the effort.
Their conversation moved on, touching on a number of subjects, the majority of which were a good deal lighter than where they set out. If nothing else, the three of them were probably closer now than they had ever been and the Charms instructor had to admit that he was in better spirits than when he arrived.
By the time Filius reached his own quarters, his eyelids were heavy and he was yawning repeatedly, so he was more than grateful to change into his nightshirt and retire for the night. He woke suddenly and was aware that there was a reason for it, but it took him a moment to realise what that reason was. The small statue of a Grecian goddess on his bedside table was glowing softly. She was back in her quarters and it was only, he checked the time, quarter to three.
Reaching out, he brushed his hand against the bronze and was suddenly aware of a flood of external stimuli. He could feel cold stone slabs beneath tired feet, muscles pulling all across his back and shoulders and an overwhelming weight of… he couldn't even articulate what the emotions were that he felt. And just as quickly as it washed over him, they were gone and he pulled back his hand taking a moment to gather himself.
The charm work he had used was a little intrusive but it was really only a brush of magic, just enough to allow him to know that she wasn't injured and in need of help. He didn't have to try terribly hard to justify it to himself though, and he certainly felt more at ease knowing that she wasn't in immediate danger.
It took much longer for him to fall asleep the second time around but he must have slipped under Morpheus' spell as he was woken again abruptly but this time by the voice of a portrait.
"I am sorry to wake you." It began.
"What time is it?" he asked, groggily.
"Ten minutes to five. The Deputy Headmistress expressly asked me to apologise for disturbing you but that she would be most appreciative if you would possibly be willing to admit her entrance."
Filius had to think a moment before his brain processed this statement but as he did, he sprang upright and wiped his eyes clear.
"Of course, tell her I'll be right there." And with that he sprung out of bed across the room, scooted through the living room and opened the door.
"Minerva?" he asked, looking at her for just a moment before stepping back and gesturing for her to enter.
If she had looked tired at dinner, she looked positively ragged now and he had a sneaking suspicion that the only thing holding her upright was the doorframe.
"I'm so sorry to wake you…" She apologised again as she pushed herself upright.
"Never mind that." He bustled, guiding her straight towards the settee. "What is it that you wanted?"
"I…" she began, looking down at the sheaf of papers in her hands. "I can't get the last of the marking statistics to tally… they just… I've tried doing it by hand… I don't know whether I've knocked the charms out of sync or… but it just won't work and I said I'd have them ready for the morning and I thought maybe…"
"Of course I'll have a look. You just sit there a minute," Filius interrupted, his mind running ten to the dozen. "I'm going to go make myself descent and then I'll be right back and we can take another look at them together." he tried to soothe, but when she looked up at him and despite the grateful relief he could see there, it was in the shadow of pain and exhaustion. "I shan't be a moment." He called as he hurried away, "Make yourself comfortable."
He knew before the door was closed that he needed to speak to Poppy, for his own sake as much as Minerva's. It wasn't until he had woken the mediwitch that he realised that she would be alarmed at being woken in the middle of the night. True to form though, Poppy was rational and practical and just telling her what had happened allowed Filius to pull his thoughts together.
By the time he was dressed, one of the house elves assigned to the hospital wing had arrived with a vial of something that certainly wasn't an base level pain reliever. As soon as he opened the door back into his sitting room however, something struck him as peculiar. It only took a moment to realise what was wrong though, and as soon as he rounded the couch his suspicions were confirmed. With a smile, Filius placed the potion vile down on the table and with a flick of his hand, elongated the settee so that Minerva's form, slumped across the arm stretched out into what he hoped to be a more comfortable position.
As it turned out, the problem Minerva had had with collating the terms grades into the master chart she had created was not of her own making, it also didn't take him long to figure out what it was. Within a few minutes he had spotted that the information provided by Alecto and Amycus Carrow was not tabulated using the same charm work as the rest of the teaching staff. Filius could only guess, but he suspected that Minerva had never even noticed. Looking over his shoulder, he watched her for a moment or two. Lying there curled up beneath the blanket she reminded him of the woman he remembered from when he had started teaching; younger, more innocent but still exhausted.
Filius set to work and managed to correct the problem relatively quickly and once he had double-checked that Minerva's database could sort the information in the multitude of different ways it was supposed to (including, by year, house, subject and student), he neatly stacked her papers and moved onto his own work. Only when he heard Minerva shift behind him did he look up and check the time.
Hopping off his seat, he crossed over to the couch and brushed the loose hair out of his friend's face, before lowering his hand to her shoulder and squeezing lightly.
"Minerva?" he asked quietly.
"Wh…?" she began as her eyes opened, "What time is it?"
"6.30" Filius replied, helping her sit upright.
"You should have woken me." She closed her eyes closed and pushed her thumb and forefinger into the sockets
"Take this, it'll help with the headache." He said, sidestepping the issue, and offering up the draft.
He held her gaze as she looked between him and the vial, this was not the apologetic Minerva of the night before, instead it was the determined Deputy Headmistress. After a moment, she reached out and took the potion and downed it swiftly.
"Poppy?" she asked, swallowing with a distasteful look on her face.
"Yes, I spoke to her just after you arrived." Filius offered tentatively.
"It's almost breakfast… I wish you hadn't let me sleep."
"You barely slept for an hour and a half Minerva and you obviously needed it, besides, I've fixed the problem with the results tables and you still have time to go back to your room, shower and change and get to breakfast on time."
Minerva looked at him and for a moment Filius felt like a student who had dared to talk back to the infamous Professor McGonagall.
"Thank you." She said eventually, letting her gaze drop. "For your help, your sofa and the potion."
"My pleasure." He responded with a nod, a smile quirking his lips. Minerva returned the gesture, smiling as she twisted her hair up into some semblance of order.
"And so it begins again." She said, pushing herself upright. "Thank you again for your help and I suppose I'll see you at breakfast."
"Minerva…" he called out, as she turned and began to cross the room at her typically clipped place. He wanted to tell her that she should go to bed, that he would take care of today and deflect Snape if only until she had had the chance to regroup and recharge. He didn't though.
Minerva seemed to sense what it was that he wasn't saying, and offered him a tight-lipped smile before turning silently and leaving the room.
He shouldn't really have been surprised that his day continued in a less than auspicious fashion after the way in which it had begun, but by lunchtime he was eternally grateful that classes were over and all that remained was for him to ensure that all of his students managed to pack up their possessions before they needed to leave to catch the train.
At some stage while Filius was in the Ravenclaw common room providing shrinking charms and generally trying to prevent World War III breaking out, it began to snow. Once he had ensured that all his students had winter cloaks out, he left them and headed up to the staff room for a cup of tea and the chance to sort through his registers before the masses gathered in the entrance hall.
When Filius and Pomona arrived, the majority of the student body was already in the entrance hall with their luggage in anticipation of taking the short trip to the train station. For all that the students usual enthusiasm had been dampened by the events and circumstances of late, they certainly seemed buoyed at the prospect of the holidays and time spent at home.
"No sign of the Carrows." Pomona commented, glancing around the jostling crowd.
"I suspect this will go better without them," Filius, pointed out, "so let's just hope we get done before they decide to join us."
Casting a gentle levitation charm, he raised himself to just above head height and using a soft sonorus, spoke loudly enough to catch the students attention.
"If I could have your attention please," he requested with moderate success, "thank you. Now, as the weather has closed in on us, we are going to proceed slightly differently than usual. I'm going to call you forward year group by year group, and once you've all been checked off then you'll be sent on to the station.
"I'm sure I don't need to remind you that you will all be expected to behave and abide by the school rules until you have been passed on to your relatives. I will be travelling with you along with Professor Carrow and Professor Carrow and needless to say, anyone not doing so will be dealt with seriously." he left that comment to hang for a moment before calling forward the Seventh Years.
The oldest students were, for the most part co-operating, and he was ushering them out to where the horseless carriages were waiting when he heard the noise behind him disappear at the sound of a familiar, chastising voice. Turning back in the doorway he was more than a little taken-a-back at the sight before him.
Minerva was standing at the head of the staircase, Snape by her side, looking like… certainly not like he'd ever seen her look before. It was at once massively disconcerting and strangely… well now was not the time to dwell on that. He forcefully redirected his thoughts as his colleague swooped down on the students who had obviously been about to start some form of conflict.
"5 points apiece, from Slytherin and Gryfindor." She declared, "and I would like a foot long essay from each of you on the necessity of inter-house co-operation, to be handed in to me on the first day of next term."
The students in question all looked to be suitably chastised, or at least were shocked enough to just nod in response to her decree. Filius watched as Snape followed her down the steps at a much more sedate pace, before placing an ominously possessive arm around her surprisingly fragile figure.
"Well said Professor, however we are expected at the Ministry." He drawled, ushering her through the crowds with a hand just inches from the small of her back. It was, Filius realised, an uncomfortable parody of the way in which Albus had treated his deputy.
As they passed where he stood by the open door, Minerva's eyes were firmly fixed ahead of her, her confident step seemingly undeterred by the strikingly high heels he had noticed when she lifted her skirts. He couldn't be sure that she was avoiding catching his eye anymore than she was her students but he felt a shiver run down his spine as his gaze followed the impressive pair down the steps outside and past the group of students, down the path and towards the gates.
The sound came in a rush, starting at the far end of the hall and swelling as it rolled towards him. Turning back into the interior of the castle, Filius' caught Poppy's eye across the hall and held her gaze a moment as they attempted to reassure each other that neither was alone in their concern, even if for the time being they were helpless. The clock in the tower chimed the quarter hour and Filius looked away, realising that if there was any hope of the Hogwarts Express leaving on time that they really needed to get a move on.
Just as he was hoping that the Carrows had decided not to bother joining them after all, Merlin knew he didn't expect them to be of any use in a crisis even if they did up, Filius spotted them standing on the platform of the station as he disembarked from the last of the carriages. They seemed content however, to simply ignore him and most of the students alike as they climbed aboard and emptied a compartment for themselves.
After checking the platform one last time for stray bodies, Filius walked from one end of the train to the other, counting heads and reassuring himself so that he could in turn reassure Minerva when she asked, that every last one of their students had been returned safely to London and delivered safely to their guardians. By this time the train had begun to gather speed and was fairly dashing through the snow so, finding a compartment with a rather quiet group of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs he settled in for what he hoped would be a quiet journey.
Given how disturbed his previous nights sleep had been, never mind anything else, it was little wonder that he slipped into a light slumber not long after he had sat down. It was a natural reaction from decades of duelling experience that meant that as soon as he woke, Filius had not only established a very basic idea of what was going on around him but also begun casting a shielding charm. The train had slowed down to almost a stop and from what he could see through the dark windows they were still in the middle of the countryside.
He extended his shielding charm to it's greatest extend, covering the whole of the train with a less impassable defence but at least giving him an awareness of what was going on around the periphery of his defence. There were people trying to break into the train and then suddenly the lights went out and he was vaguely aware as the commotion spread through the student body. Sounds of fighting from within the compartments spilled out in the central corridor, but all the while, Filius' concentration was focussed on what was going on outside.
Conjuring a patronus was the work of a moment but when he tried to send it on it's way it was blocked by someone else's magic. In the moment he turned a fraction more of his attention towards sending his swan to the Order though, a flash of light hit him from the side and he, and the train itself seemed to be lifted into the air. He seemed to be sailing for an eternity bit as quickly as it had started, it stopped and Filius was aware of an instant of blinding pain before a deeper, more complete darkness took him.
A/N: Told you I'd update soon ;) Let me know whether you're enjoying it.
Thanks for reading,
xLx
