Chapter Twenty Nine: Opinions and Operations:
Remus went to sleep that night thinking over all that had happened. He was not really all that surprised to find himself before Fate once more, this time he was not happy and he glared at her with anger. How could she allow Severus to be hurt so? How could she not tell him about Penny and saved Percy that pain? Did she like to cause suffering or was that God that did that? He sat down rage in his eyes turning them from blue to amber showing the wolf fully.
"I know you are angry." Fate said calmly, "I don't blame you but I do not do what I do to hurt you. Nor is it for my amusement or that of God either."
"Then why?" Remus snarled, "why allow so much hurt? Why not let me know everything to…."
"Fix it all?" Fate said, "if I did that then were is free will?"
"Hang free will!" Remus said, "if it causes so much pain!"
"You do not mean that, think dear Remus, if you had no choice to do anything how would you feel?"
"As if life were not worth living." Remus said quietly.
"What do you fight for?"
"Freedom." Remus replied. "So you cannot tell me all, you have to balance things then?"
"Yes, oh you are such a smart one!" Fate said smiling, "of all those I have worked with you are the only I have ever seen understand so fully! God loves all his children and knows that free will is most important and the greatest gift he could give. Of course there are those like Voldemort who use their freewill to do great evil."
"Tea Remus?"
Remus took the cup of tea and sat thinking, he knew that Fate was only doing what she did to protect mankind. If she bailed out every little thing then what would man have to do but wait around until things were fixed fully for them? She only stepped in when things got so far off track that one person could go back to stop that as Remus had. Of course he could never tell anyone about it as he would die if he did but he could change things for the better. He could not stop all suffering and he knew he was being harsh to blame Fate.
It was true Severus had suffered and badly but he had not been fully humiliated and now that he was freed from the dark mark he could fight Voldemort freely. No more spying, no more having to stand back and let others fight, he could fight as well and Remus knew he would. He would not have to worry about being bit by Nagini and waking to decades of hell, he had family now and friends and would not die alone. His mental health seemed better too, as if a great burden was lifted off him and he seemed to like having Harry around him more and more now.
"Severus does seem to be doing better." Remus said. "He is happier, oh he does not show it, still scowls too much but the burden over him is lifted."
"Ah he spoke to Harry and Harry not only forgave him but redid the pledge his parents did taking him fully into the Potter family." Fate said smiling, "that could have something to do with it, did he not just have his new arm attached?"
"Yes in fact it arrived from America today, along with a rather charming doctor." Remus smirked, "I am going to enjoy Severus's reaction when he fully wakes from surgery."
"I am sure you will." Fate said, "I have one last clue for you and must tell you that you will not see me again, you have seen me thrice and that is it."
"I will miss you ma'am." Remus said meaning it.
"I know, but think on this, the last Horcrux is closer than you think, deep in Hogwarts it lies and few know of this place." Fate said, "now good luck, the word is now best prepared to defeat Voldemort."
The room faded and Remus woke slowly to find himself in his large king bed back at Black castle. He yawned and stretched and thought on what he the last clue he had been given and he knew where the last Horcrux was. He wished he could have learned this earlier but then Penny never would have been caught and the Wizarding world would not be as united as it was now. Once Scrimgeour was told of Voldemort's rise he had acted swiftly and ordered all muggleborn and their families to safety and he was working on a way to get rid of the Dementors. Remus got up and got ready for the day, he would go get breakfast and see how Severus was doing after.
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Severus woke slowly and stretched as best he could and he looked down and smiled at the heavily bandaged new limb of his. It was wrapped in magical bandages from fingers to his shoulder and would be for a few weeks. This was to help his body get used to the new limb and accept it as his own, both magically and physically. He managed to wiggle a finger and smiled as he move another and then another until he had moved all five digits. He was feeling so well today and not groggy like when he had first woke up just after the surgery. He sat up and using his right hand managed to get his left arm up and keep it up for a minute.
Poppy came in with Percy and checked him over with her wand then gently checked his back with her hands. A wand could only do so much and she could use her hands with her magic to see how his back was doing. There were scars on his back but they were at least white now and nearly blended into his skin. Poppy could tell that the muscle layers under the skin was healing nicely and he had not lost what little weight he kept on him. He was naturally thin, not skeletally, no he was lean with knotted muscles under his sallow skin. Right now he was clad only in a pair of charcoal gray sleep pants and with his sleep tossed hair and a day's growth on his face Poppy thought he looked cute.
"How do you feel Severus?" Poppy asked.
"Much better, I am sorry for causing so much trouble." Severus replied.
"You are no trouble Severus." Poppy said, "you never could be, why you have helped me so much I can only try to repay the favor."
"She is right sir." Percy said, "I was wrong to think of you as a git in school, you are a great wizard and man. I would not be an apprentice healer if not for your teaching potions sir."
"I agree, now that I pay attention in potions I find I like them." Harry said walking into the room with Ginny next to him.
"Same here," Ginny said walking up to Severus and taking a look at his arm.
"Like what you see miss Weasley?" Severus said silkily.
"Yes, your new arm looks good sir." Ginny said continuing to look at his arm not even reacting to the fact her professor was half clothed before her. "Have you been able to use it sir?"
"Yes I have, why you thinking of becoming a healer miss Weasley?" Severus asked glaring at the girl.
"I might, though I doubt I would be as good as Percy." Ginny said looking up at Severus.
"Um Ginny I think professor Snape er wishes some privacy." Harry said.
"What?" Ginny said looking at Severus as if for the first time, "well he has clothes on, not like he is going around starkers, that would be Fred and George, easy to tell who is who that way, Fred has this scar on his left buttock."
"Ginny!" Harry hissed.
"Oh grow up Harry, I have six brothers, half the time mum was lucky they would wear a shirt outside in the summer and with Fred and George anything for a few years there. Besides Professor Snape has nothing to be ashamed of and I am glad to see he is not too thin though he could stand to gain some weight."
Severus actually sat back cross-legged on the bed and looked from an embarrassed Harry to a cool and calm Ginny. He knew he was not fully in control of the situation and he had to get back in control, now. He smirked summoning a cup of tea with the temporary wand he had from Flitwick, added milk and sugar and sipped the good brew. He put the cup on saucer and looked up at Harry and Ginny, Harry it seemed was trying to get Ginny to leave at the moment and he really as being a smart boy.
"So why are you two here?" Severus asked.
"We wanted to see how you were fairing after your arm was attached sir." Harry replied, "you are my family sir."
"You start calling me uncle Severus and I will…"
"I won't Severus, I mean sir, sir!" Harry said trying to cover up his lack of respect.
"You may call me that in private and private only Harry." Severus said softly.
"I can sir?" Harry said grinning his green eyes lighting up, "thank you sir, Severus!"
"Well we are family, hmm let me see that would mean we have a family dog." Severus smirked. "I did send him some dog treats."
"Yes I know, Remus took them." Harry said and at the look of surprise on Severus's face, "he likes them! I swear he does!"
"Hnn, that does not fully surprise, me and what is this Ginny?" Severus asked as Ginny handed him something wrapped in soft deerskin.
"This is the real reason I came here sir, I made it sir, it's a dream catcher sir." Ginny said nervous as Severus unwrapped it. "I thought you could use it sir."
"Thank you and Ginny you can call me Severus in private as well." Severus said.
Ginny grinned and her bright brown eyes lit up and she very nearly hugged him. She did not as he stiffened slightly, he was not used to such contact as only his mother had hugged him as a boy. Though his father did love him he did not hold to much affection and raised his son to be strong in a harsh world. Severus sat back and smiled as he realized he had so many who really did care about him. If they saw worth in him maybe really he was worth something after all? He felt something warm inside him and actually smiled his eyes lighting up and making him look much younger and nicer than he had in years.
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Dora Tonks Severus thought was ruthless. He rolled to the side as she came at him again with the quarterstaff and very nearly hit him again with it. He leaped to his feet and jumped back as she came at him and he blocked her with his staff. Both were clad in loose brown breeches, only Dora had a bright pink tank top on while Severus was clothed in only his breeches. His dark hair lay damp on his head and he was covered in sweat. Clearly he had underestimated Dora, from her spiky pink hair and curvy body to her intentional clumsiness. Moody was watching Severus barely hold his own against his best Auror and he smiled as he sat comfortably watching the battle.
"Come on professor stop holding back." Dora said, "you after all took Remus down both magical and muggle ways."
"The problem I have having miss Tonks is getting fully used to this bloody arm of mine!" Severus snapped back, "it's been a month!"
"Excuses, now come on love show me what you got!"
"Tonks you are just better than him." Moody said from where he sat, "then again all he does is sit in a cold dungeon dreaming up ways to torment innocent children."
"None of my students are innocent." Severus snapped back, "at least I am not a pervert like you, if I had a magical eye I would not use it as you do!"
"It's a magical eye love." Dora said, "it can only see magic, nothing more nothing less."
"I know but he still is a pervert!"
"Right boy, Tonks let me see that, I am going t' beat some manners into this boy!" Moody said.
Severus backed up eyes wide knowing he could not take Moody. Still his pride was on the line and he would not go down without a fight and fight he did. He had held his own with Dora but found that Moody, with his new leg that looked as normal as a human leg could, Severus did not stand a chance. He fought hard but in a few short minutes he was on the ground with several new bruises. Severus lashed out with his staff to take Moody down but lost his staff, he then went for his wand and Moody actually laughed and took out his wand.
A crowd gathered to watch this battle and most had their money on Moody though Harry had his on Severus as did Remus. The wand battle was anything but friendly and Moody was having way too much fun with this duel. Severus realized he was out of his league and was going to get beat and badly but he would not give up. Not he! No he was going to continue with his battle until he was taken down and knocked out. Severus was extremely good but Moody proved just why he was the most feared Auror out there as he took Severus down, got his wand and tied Severus up. He knelt by the bound Severus wand at the other wizard's throat a wicked smile on his face.
"Going to be a bit more respectful boy?" Moody said softly.
"Never!" Severus hissed, "do your worse to me!"
"That is enough you let him up or you will wish you had!" Poppy said storming into the room, "all that work on both of you! Neither of you are at full strength and if you keep fighting like this well I will bind you down myself!"
Poppy unbound Severus and with a glare made him know not to start the fight again when he went for his wand. Moody would have spoke but an owl came and dropped a letter in his hands. He took it, scanned it and read it. A cold smile came over his face, and he headed out, this meeting would be fun when he got his hands on a certain blond pureblood wizard.
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So there is Severus getting his new arm, learning to use it and Ginny being Ginny as well. Oh and Remus will not need to meet with Fate anymore, she has helped him as much as she can. She really does care about the human race but she cannot change every bad thing to good. Humans have to deal with the consequences of their actions after all.
So anyway do please review!
