Against All Odds
Chapter 21
Disclaimer: This chapter contains mild sexual content. It's nothing smutty; I'm going to be conceited about my writing and say that it's tasteful.
Rita couldn't sleep. It wasn't because the floor was hard and therefore very uncomfortable. It wasn't because she was freezing cold, sleeping in a nightgown with spaghetti straps. It was because she just worried about where Juliet, and where her daughter, her granddaughter, and her daughter's boyfriend were, and if they were ok. Tears fell from Rita's eyes, and she didn't bother to wipe them away. She pulled the sleeping bag around her, trying to warm herself so she could possibly fall asleep. But her thoughts wouldn't stop bouncing around inside of her head, so even if she was warm, she still wouldn't be able to rest.
Her mind went through all of the most horrible things that could have happened to Juliet, Lily, and Harry. She didn't know what would be worse; if her daughter was dead and her child had been taken, or if Juliet and Harry had managed to hide the baby and were being tortured so Dumbledore could find her. Sadly, she couldn't soothe herself by saying that these scenarios were both unlikely because sadly, they were more probable than her being ok.
Even if she and Juliet didn't get along, she still did love her. She wanted to tell her that, just so she knew. She wanted to just want have her daughter look at her with warmth in her eyes and not icy hatred. But above anything else, she just wanted to tell her she was sorry. Her fear of being a mother had kept her from Juliet for years. She had antagonized her daughter like it was her fault that she wasn't in her life. Her pride had kept her from apologizing to Juliet about all the things she had done wrong.
She heard the zipper of her sleeping bag being pulled down slowly, to prevent it from making enough noise to wake everyone else. She turned over, and saw that Severus was there, getting into her sleeping bag with her. She turned to him, and gripped the front of my shirt, sobbing into his chest as quietly as she could. He held her in his arms, and just let her cry, not knowing what to say to her to make everything alright. He couldn't lie to her, and tell her everything was going to be ok, because he didn't know that for sure.
"I'm so sorry." She whispered through her shuddering sobs. She didn't know why she was saying it to him, but it felt right after it was out," I'm sorry. I'm sorry."
"Shh…" He pulled away from her, and rested his hand on her face. He stroked her cheek with his thumb, wiping away the tears that were falling," Don't apologize, Rita."
"I'm so scared, Sev. I just want them here. I want them to be ok."
"I know. I want that too. Harry is protecting them, I'm sure. And Juliet is so strong. She probably doesn't even need him to protect her. She's just so strong willed and bold. She's so much like you."
Rita smiled and gripped his hand that was still rested on her cheek.
"Just not as aggravating, I'm sure." Rita replied, and they both laughed slightly.
'"No, she's just as aggravating."
They laughed again, and Severus kissed her forehead. Before she could think about it, she kissed him passionately, unable to hold back her love for him that she had suppressed for fourteen years. He rolled on top of her, his hands moving up her legs into her nightgown. His lips moved from hers to her neck, to her chest, sliding her underwear off at the same time.
They both jumped when a sudden knock on the door echoed through the room. They hesitantly broke apart, and stood to grab their wands.
"Identify yourself." Lupin ordered, holding his wand to his throat to disguise his voice.
"It's Ceana. Ok, who is that talking? I don't recognize the voice."
Lupin opened the door, and Ceana walked in, still in centaur form. In her arms was a fully awake Lily. She was screaming and moving around inside of the bundle that was Severus's cloak.
"She's been screaming like this since I left Juliet and Harry. I think she's hungry, or maybe she's cold, or tired. I don't know."
'Wait,
Harry and Juliet aren't here?" Hermione asked, looking
terrified," Where are they?"
"I told them that I overheard
Dumbledore telling his followers about something called The Blood of
the Erudite."
"They went to find it?" Severus asked eyes wide with fear. It was rare for him to show emotion so everyone knew that this was something very, very dangerous that Juliet and Harry were about to do.
"What is that?" Rita asked, holding onto one of Lily's tiny hands in one of her own slender ones.
"Dumbledore has been after this Blood of the Erudite for years. Supposedly, it's in some sort of chamber, and to even get it, he would need one of James Potter's belongings. He doesn't know which particular belonging it is, but he knows he needs one. He doesn't know, however, where to look. He's checked everywhere; Godric's Hollow, James' vault at Gringotts, the Department of Mysteries. He hasn't found it." Severus explained.
"How does he even know about it?" Mrs. Weasley asked, grabbing one of the bottles that she had made when there had been nothing else to do in the house. She had gone out and bought formula for Lily even when she wasn't there because it felt certain that they would be there eventually if she prepared the house for the baby.
"What does the Blood of the Erudite even do?"
"He
doesn't know what it does, but that was another part of the
prophecy."
"Oh, this bloody prophecy. I could get Sybil
Trelawney and strangle her for making this damn prophecy." Rita
said furiously,
"Whatever it is, it will help the side that finds it." Severus told them.
"I told them that." Ceana told them, emerging from the bathroom where she had changed into her human clothes," So, you can blame me about them not being here."
"No, they would have found out eventually." Mrs. Weasley assured her.
"Exactly, and if I know Harry and Juliet, the second they heard that this Blood of the Erudite would end the war, they would have jumped on it and been running off trying to find it."
"You're quite right, Sirius." Ceana told him, laughing slightly," They were all to eager to start looking. They're on their way to Gringotts. That's where I think it is."
"They're going right into the center of everything." Rita said, feeling her throat tighten again, and tears come into her eyes. But she was too proud to start crying in front of these people who still weren't her biggest fans yet. Molly put Lily in her arms, and handed her the bottle so she could finish feeding her. Looking into Lily's face was enough to make her lose her composure and start sobbing hysterically. She looked just like her mother, who was now in the thicket of danger. All of Dumbledore's followers were around Hogwarts, expecting them to show up there eventually.
"I
know. I couldn't stop them, Rita." Ceana told her," I really
couldn't."
"Did you try?" Rita demanded.
"No, I didn't. I guess I should have. You know, been like,' Juliet, Harry, you should just sit back and do nothing. You know, like your mother has done your whole life, Juliet.'"
"Fuck you." Rita spat, and the baby started crying again. Rita turned and stormed off into the kitchen, away from Ceana, away from all of them. She rocked Lily gently in her arms, calming her down instantly.
"That's a good girl. Oh, you look just like your Mummy."
In the privacy and solitude of the kitchen, Rita let herself cry again. As she held this beautiful little girl who looked just like Juliet, she thought about the pain that she would go through growing up without a mother. It would be much like the pain Juliet had felt her entire life, but at least Lily would know her mother wasn't there because she had fought for her.
The only reason Juliet had for why Rita was absent from her life was because she had never wanted her. But in reality, all Rita had ever wanted was Juliet.