Chapter 34- All For Redemption:
Sirius had our ingredients delivered a couple of days ago and I could tell Severus was curious as to what I'd probably done, as a woman, to coerce Sirius' cooperation. I'd even hinted that Sirius and I had made an arrangement of sorts and that Severus shouldn't tell Donovan anything of it. For the sake of the mission, of course.
His eyes had widened briefly before he turned and swept out of the room.
It was embarrassing and completely untrue, but at least it ensured that I was to deal with Sirius for future transactions without suspicion, even though I had to make myself seem like a scarlet woman.
I only hoped that Severus would be too embarrassed to ever say anything to anyone. But so far, he just seemed relieved that he wasn't the one that had to deal with Sirius anymore.
Severus and I had planned out several potions already and I was eager to begin. I didn't want to control the werewolves at all, but I was wondering if in our experiments, we could produce something close to a cure. Nobody had ever accomplished that yet, and I wasn't foolish enough to think we were that brilliant. But werewolves couldn't take potions for the pain of the transformations. They were ineffective. Maybe we could change that, at least. Bond the healing herbs to the werewolf without rendering them useless. Although I didn't tell Severus that's what my intentions were.
Once Severus had the cauldron set, we began. We were using the silver utensils, a silver cauldron, and had to monitor our heat carefully. We didn't want to melt the silver into the potion. That would be fatal to a werewolf.
"We must be careful and precise." Severus cautioned, though I knew that very well.
He went to cutting and dicing and slicing ingredients meticulously as I kept checking the heat of the fire.
I glanced over the instructions we'd planned and carefully opened the monkshood vial.
"Do not touch anything else once you handle it." Severus warned, watching me.
We were both wearing dragon hide gloves to keep ingredients from touching us or mixing before we had them stable. This Monkshood was extremely volatile, we had soaked it in our own experimental mixture that contained nitroglycerin.
I nodded and prepared the monkshood before taking it to the silver scales to weigh the amount we'd decided on.
Severus carefully stirred the potion with the silver ladle and instructed his quill on what he was doing as it magically noted down his step by step instructions. He was noting the potions changes and consistencies and changing stir times as he saw necessary.
"It's ready for the Monkshood." He said.
I carefully walked over to the cauldron and started to drop it in as carefully as I could. The potion immediately hissed and bubbled and the cauldron started shaking.
"Something's wrong " I said.
Severus furrowed his brow as he looked back at the prep table, making sure an ingredient wasn't added out of turn.
I grabbed the silver ladle from him and pulled it out to see the melted end and gasped. I'd let the heat get too high!
Severus looked at me with wide eyes and quickly yanked out his wand as the cauldron exploded.
I instinctively turned away but Severus had put up a shield. We were spared from most of the hot potion but the force of the blast knocked us back as smoke filled the room.
I groaned as Severus had landed on top of me, he'd pushed me behind him as he casted the shield and the blast threw us about ten feet backwards, shattering the glass of the windows in the room and the glass containers on our prep table.
Severus was shaking as he slipped off me and fell back to his stomach on the floor. I sat up, aware of the burn on my leg, and gingerly turned to Snape.
His back was burned. His robes burned through the spots splattered with potion. His shield charm had protected us from the majority of the blast but some of the scalding potion had gotten on us and the monkshood was reacting like acid.
I pulled out my wand and vanished his robe. He was laying face down, topless, his fists clenched.
"Severus, you need a healer." I said.
He shook his head.
"Save the monkshood if you can, hurry. We can't let that much become unstable or it will kill us." He gasped through the pain..
I pushed myself up, glass digging into my hands, and limped towards the prep table. I grabbed the monkshood, close to mixing with our exploded potion mixture that was dripping from the ceiling mere inches away. I used my wand to contain it and put impenetrable charms on it.
I limped back to Severus.
"I need to take you to a hospital." I said.
He shook his head.
"Then allow me to help." I said.
"Do what you can." He breathed.
I got back up and limped to the closet and got a pain potion. I limped back and made Severus drink it, his shaking subsided soon after.
His flesh was burned badly as I cleaned the wound and healed it with the basic charms Donovan had taught me in training.
I conjured bandages and wrapped them around his torso after helping him sit up.
"You still need a healer." I said.
He nodded and pulled on the ruined robes.
"Your leg." He said, looking down at the bloody mess I had made.
He helped me clean it and wrapped it after I muttered charms to help it heal.
The floor was scorched and the tables overturned, ingredients wasted and ruined on the floor. Broken glass was everywhere. This was a complete disaster and it was my fault.
"You need treatment. These spells aren't working." He said.
My bandages were starting to pinken and I knew I needed deeper healing than the small charms I had attempted.
"Severus, you are worse than I am." I said, touching his shoulder.
"This shall suffice for me." He said.
He apparated us to a magical hospital.
Severus was a marked Death Eater. He wouldn't allow the healers to look at his wounds because he couldn't risk his mark being seen. He left as soon as he dropped me off.
Forty five minutes later I was on a small bed when the privacy curtains moved back to reveal Donovan.
"Cassandra! Are you alright?" He said coming forward.
I nodded.
"I'm fine. Just a small accident. The healer was just bringing me a special salve and I can go. What are you doing here?" I said.
"Severus owled me." Donovan said.
The healer walked around the curtain then and stopped at seeing Donovan.
"He's my husband." I said in German.
The healer nodded and handed the salve to me with instructions on when to apply it so that my leg didn't scar. Magic had healed my leg, but a magical burn was tricky to heal completely. I then received a long lecture about attempting to brew household potions when I wasn't proficient with them. (The lie I had told them.)
I signed a release form and Donovan apparated us home.
"You should get some rest. I have to leave again." He said.
"Right." I nodded.
Of course he did, he was never here anymore.
He watched me walk upstairs, and as soon as I was sure he'd left, I grabbed my potions kit and first aid and apparated back to the lab. I had to help Severus.
He was in his room passed out. His wards weren't even up.
I set up my kit and moved his wand away in case he woke up. I didn't want him trying to attack me if he happened to wake up confused.
I removed the bandages I had applied before that were now blood soaked and cleaned his wounds again, rebandaging them with fresh bandages and applying some burn salve I'd made before. His wounds weren't ready for the non scarring salve I'd received from the hospital.
"Enervate."
He moaned as I leaned forward towards his face.
"Severus, have you taken any more potions?" I asked.
But he had passed out again.
I grabbed another pain relieving draught, and a few more I thought might help, and forced them down his throat.
I knew from the sleeping draught I gave him that he wouldn't wake up anytime soon, so I went back to the lab and started cleaning up. I also flipped through a healing potions book we had here and used it to make a healing poultice for him. Several hours later, I was in the small kitchen and making a stew. It was late, I'd been here all day, and I was starving.
"What are you doing?"
I jumped and turned around.
"Severus! You scared me. You shouldn't be up!" I said.
He narrowed his eyes at me.
"Why are you here?" He repeated.
He was leaning on the doorframe for support.
I rolled my eyes.
"Sit down. Let me take a look at your bandages." I said, pulling out a chair at the table.
He limped over and sat down.
"I'm fine." He said.
I should have known he wouldn't let me help him consciously.
"Well then, you should eat. I've just made some stew." I said.
I filled some bowls and sat across from him, digging in.
"Why are you here?" He demanded.
I swallowed and lowered my spoon.
"I wanted to make sure you were ok." I said.
He stared at me but said nothing more.
"You should eat. Sorry, I'm not the best cook" I said.
He picked up his spoon and stared at the stew in front of him.
"And your husband?" He asked.
"He's out of town." I said.
He humphed and started eating.
When we were finished, I cleared the bowls and brought forth the poultice I'd made.
"What is that?" He asked.
"A poultice I made to help you heal." I said.
He looked away.
"I don't need it."
"I had to use a couple special ingredients for this, so let me apply it on your wounds before it goes to waste." I said.
"Our ingredients aren't to be wasted so!" He said.
"Would you not have done the same for me?" I asked.
He looked surprised.
"No. I would not." He mumbled.
But I didn't believe it.
I rolled my eyes.
"Right, well it's done now. Turn around." I said.
He stared at me with confusion and when I gestured him to turn again, he complied. I changed the dressings and added the poultice. Already I could see that the burn salve had helped. I knew by morning, with the aide of the poultice, he would be nearly healed.
"I'll change them again first thing in the morning. There is some more pain potion on your bedside table. Take it before you sleep." I said.
I turned for my cloak and after I had fastened it on, I saw Severus was still hunched over the table, refusing to acknowledge me.
I stepped closer slowly, and laid my hand on his shoulder gently.
"Thank you, Severus. You saved me from the brunt of the explosion. And I'm sorry, it was my fault it exploded." I said.
He looked up, his eyes locking on to mine.
"I will see you in the morning." I said.
I apparated back home.
The next morning, after I'd returned home from changing Severus' bandages, I found a letter waiting for me.
Cassandra, darling,
I'd love for you to join me for tea this afternoon at the manor. I'm in desperate need for some refreshing company.. 3 o'clock, don't be late, love.
Victoria
I changed into a dress and small hand gloves, making sure my throwing daggers were hidden in the dress and I apparated to the manor. Victoria was still a vampire, after all. I'd only recently had a vampire hit called off. I knew that I had to always be prepared. Even for tea.
When I arrived, I was led to the atrium where Victoria had a table already set and several servants standing close by were trays of decadent desserts and scones and muffins everywhere. My mouth watered just looking at them.
The atrium was huge, several stories high of nothing but a glass dome surrounding us, filled with plants and flowers. The glass panels were held up by thin gold beams that connected at the top peak in a beautiful gold chandelier that hung down with large crystal tear drops, real candles in it. It was beautiful, an atrium fit for a queen.
"Lovely to see you again." She kissed my cheeks and invited me to sit.
"And you as well. I was extremely pleased upon receiving your invitation. I hope you've been well?" I asked.
"Oh, well enough I suppose. But you know, Vampires, for all our oddities and advancements in culture, we're boringly set in our ways. It's the same old drones here for my brother day in and day out." Victoria said.
I grinned.
"Surely you manage to entertain yourself." I glanced at her assistant in the corner.
Victoria followed my gaze and laughed.
"I see Donovan's told you, hm?"
"He did mention it. In his defense, I was curious how you used a wand that day in your shop." I said.
I glanced back to her assistant to see her glaring at me with her arms crossed.
"Yes, well, my brother and I are quite the rare case." Victoria said.
"It's rather fascinating." I said.
She smiled.
"I suppose it is, in it's own way. I'm glad this doesn't deter our friendship?" She said.
"Of course not! " I said.
She spotted her assistant's glaring and dismissed her.
"I'm throwing another ball next week, for my brother's birthday." She laughed.
"I hope you don't mind the irony. It's a bit of a joke with vampires and most of us just like having another reason to celebrate something." She said.
"It's quite the lavish lifestyle." I commented.
"You have no idea. Anyways, I know my brother would love for you to come. In fact, he might not even bother to come unless you'll be there. Promise you'll come?" She said.
"Oh, well I'm sure that's not the case, but yes. I will come." I said.
She clapped her hands.
"Excellent. I'm going to make you another dress. And don't worry, I've got your measurements already. And don't even try to decline, this is a gift!"
"It's not my birthday, really, you're too generous." I said.
"It's because you're back in my brother's life again. I know you two were close before, and even though you're married now, my brother is happier when you're here." She said.
"Oh, um, actually-"
A servant came in and had more tea. I picked up my cup and sipped it, surprised at its floral aroma.
"The tea is a specialty from China. Try this one, it's so lovely." She said.
She waved the server who bought another tea set over on his golden cart, and switched my cups. I looked inside this new one, to see an ugly looking ball of thistle of sorts inside.
"Watch carefully." She smiled.
The server poured hot water over the weed and it slowly bloomed open in the water, revealing a beautiful flower. I looked on in awe as Victoria grinned.
"This one is known as a 'friendship' brew. Beautiful, isn't it? I have an appreciation for the finer, delicate, things of life." She said.
I tipped my glass to see it from a different angle.
"Do taste it." She encouraged.
I brought it to my lips cautiously and took a sip.
It was good. Victoria caught my smile and nodded appreciatively.
"It's beautiful." I said.
Victoria smiled softly.
"People may say that we are monsters, our existence unnatural, but personally I try to see the beauty of life. I'm well aware of our cursed existence, but sometimes it easier to believe that our souls aren't damned. That we don't have to be the monsters we are known as." She said.
I looked up.
"I think that's what you make him feel. Your his beauty in all of this ugliness. You're his tea flower." She said.
I sighed.
Where in the world was she getting these ideas? What had he told her?
"Can I ask you a personal question?" Victoria said.
It was just the two of us today, and Victoria had quickly dismissed all formalness the minute the servants left us. And I was surprised that I actually did like her, that I felt bad for the things I thought about some of the vampires.
"Ok." I said.
"What is going on with you and my brother now?" She asked.
"What?"
"I know you were seeing him before. I used to see you sneaking in and out of the manor all the time. And then one day you stopped coming. And my brother was on the warpath. He was always gone and I barely saw him for two years. I also knew it it had something to do with Donovan." She said.
"And then when I got to know Donovan and met you it seemed to click." She said.
"What's that?" I asked hesitantly.
"That my brother is in love with you. That he must have wanted you to be a vampire and you fled and married Donovan." She said.
I took and deep breath. She didn't know cassandra was a vampire in the end.
"I don't have a problem with Vampires." I said.
"But he wanted to change you and you didn't want that?" She asked.
I shook my head, remembering what Barnabus had said about the real Cassandra.
Victoria sighed.
"I didn't think I would like you, but I do. I see us being great friends, but I don't want to lose my brother again. And just the fact that you're around again has changed him." She said.
"Are you asking me to stay away? I thought you just said you were happy I was here," I said.
"I am. It's just, I don't want you to leave again and see my brother get hurt all over again. So what I want to know is, what are your intentions with my brother? Because if this is just some affair I-" She said.
"You need to stay out of my business."
We both turned to see Barnabus standing in the doorway.
"Barnabus, please, it's just-" Victoria started.
"Come Cassandra, I'll walk you out." Barnabus interrupted.
Victoria sighed and dropped her head in defeat.
I got to my feet and followed him to the front entrance.
"I'll see you soon." He left me standing at the door.
"Sarah, you look beautiful." I said, in Charlies mind, leaning in and kissing her cheek.
The wedding guests were all mingling now, dancing and drinking champagne.
"Thanks Charlie. I guess she didn't come, did she?" Sarah asked.
I shoved my hands in my pockets.
"No. Lily isn't here." I smiled sadly.
She sighed.
"I'll admit, I was hoping she would show up. And by the looks of it, I wasn't the only one." Sarah said.
I turned to see what she was looking at and spotted James Potter off to the side holding a glass of champagne and glancing around the tent every few seconds as if he were looking for someone.
"He still hasn't given up on her, has he?" She asked.
I felt Charlie shake his head.
"Sirius and Remus send their congratulations as well." I said.
She rolled her eyes.
"Well I didn't expect them to show. What with Tiffany and Ashley as my bridesmaids. What has happened to us?" She said sadly.
"War changes a lot of things and people too. But it's good to have something to be happy about in these dark times, and this is definitely a happy occasion. I'm sure Leah would have loved it. I'm glad you found a way to include her." I said.
I glanced at the large portrait of Leah standing on an easel, smiling and waving at people.
Sarah threw her arms around Charlie in a tight hug that I returned.
"She loved a good party." She murmured.
I walked away when her parents came over, only to be stopped by the other twin who pulled me aside.
"Hey, Ashley." I said.
"Is Remus ok?" She whispered, glancing around.
"Why wouldn't he be?" I asked.
"Charlie, I know! About, you know, Moony! And I saw the paper yesterday, about the Ministry trying to pass the registration act on half breeds." Ashley whispered.
Charlie was shocked, I was shocked.
"Listen, just give him this letter. And tell him I love him, that I forgive him. Keep him safe, ok?" She thrust the letter in his hand and kissed his cheek before quickly walking away.
I shoved the letter into my robes inconspicuously and decided I'd stayed long enough, it was nearing midnight and I had to patrol with Alice soon. And Dumbledore wanted to meet with me first thing in the morning.
As I walked towards the Apparation point, I didn't miss James waltzing with a pretty brunette. I was glad for it.
I was in a foul mood when I woke up. Seeing James dance with another girl had bothered me more than I wanted to admit. And I felt wretched for missing Sarah's wedding. Id went back to blocking my presence from Charlie, but I still occasionally slipped into his mind when I slept.
Severus was taking me to test more potions today and it was the last thing I wanted to do. How could I stomach it again? And I knew he still wasn't fully recovered even though it had been weeks since the accident.
"Are you ready?" Severus asked.
I nodded and took his arm as he apparated me to the same place we'd tested before.
I swallowed thickly as I followed him down to the dungeon.
The smell was as rancid as before but the Death Eaters guarding were different. There were three of them, two large men and Barnabus. I took some small comfort knowing I had an ally with me. And then I wondered about my sanity for considering a vampire an ally.
I stood behind Severus as the Death Eaters administered the first potion. Nothing happened after several minutes and they continued on to the next man. Out of the five potions only one resulted in an instant death. We stayed for about an hour, with a well placed bubble head charm so we could breathe without the stench, and waited.
It was a full moon tonight and we knew we would have results as soon as the change occurred.
The Death Eaters were playing cards and Severus and I busied ourselves writing and going over notes to pass the time.
Just before sunset we had all the werewolves locked in individual cells and chained to the walls in iron chains and manacles, not that those would do much for holding a werewolf. But I was hoping the thick iron doors that we magically sealed would. We all stood in front of the small barred glass windows on the doors and waited, each person watching their own door.
"This one's starting the transformation. " one of the Death Eater's called.
Within seconds the others called out the same and I watched as the young man in my cell changed.
I had never seen a werewolf change before, and though it was fascinating, it also looked excruciatingly painful. My heart ached for Remus right now.
"Something's wrong with this one. He's having a fit." The shorter, fat, Death Eater called.
He was farthest from me, so Severus ran and looked in.
"An adverse reaction." I heard.
My werewolf was changed and looking around as if it were confused. And then there were shouts as two of the other werewolves were ramming the doors.
Everyone was throwing spells at the doors or through the windows at the werewolves themselves.
I took the distraction and opened my cell and stepped inside.
The werewolf was growling at me, but it was also backing away. Not at all natural instinct for a werewolf.
"Can you understand me?" I asked.
It made no move, just kept growling.
"Listen, I won't hurt you. I promise I will help you escape. I'm not really a Death Eater. But I will need you to cooperate. Please. I promise I will get you somewhere safe, and I'm your only shot at surviving. I know you don't trust me, but what else have you got to lose? But I need to know if you can understand me." I said.
And then, slowly, the werewolf lowered its hackles, stopped growling, and nodded his head.
I fell back in shock.
"Lay down." I said.
He laid down.
"Raise your right front paw." I said.
He did.
I stood up and glanced behind me.
"I'm going back out, I need you to act crazed without breaking your restraints. Don't let anyone else know you can understand, ok? I'll fetch you in the morning. I swear." I said.
I went back to the door and was yanked through by Barnabus.
Luckily the others hadn't noticed.
They managed to reinforce all the doors and Severus suggested we all leave, our human smells were making the werewolves go crazy to get to us. Except that Barnabus was a vampire, but he didn't know that.
Back at the lab, Severus was compiling his notes and discussing the reactions with me.
"Most of them didn't appear to have any affect on them. Except the one with potion 4 that died and the one with potion 5. He was having some sort of violent reaction against it and died. We won't know about the others until morning. We can see if they survive the transition back. Otherwise they were all ineffective. Did you try and Imperious yours?" He asked.
We had decided before that the spell would let us know if the potions worked in allowing the beasts to be controlled.
I nodded and told him I was unsuccessful. After making plans to meet in the morning, I left. I didn't go to Donovan's though, I apparated straight to Barnabus' manor.
He was expecting me because the guards were waiting for me and escorted me straight to his office.
I cast several charms against the door to prevent eavesdropping and slunk into a chair by the fire.
He raised a brow at the way I made myself at home, but I was exhausted and didn't care.
"So, do you have a death wish or did it work?" He asked.
He brought me two glasses. One of tea, the other smelled suspiciously of firewhiskey. I grabbed the firewhiskey and downed it in one go.
"Something worked. But, not how I expected" I said.
He sat across from me and handed me the bottle.
I took another drink and looked up.
"He understood me. He could control himself!" I said.
"Are you sure? When werewolves change the wolf takes over completely." He said.
I nodded.
"I know. But, it was like his mind was still his and the wolf wasn't there." I explained.
He narrowed his eyes.
"You know a werewolf, don't you?" He asked.
I nodded. No point hiding that fact.
Barnabus chuckled.
"How am I not surprised? You didn't seem a bit afraid of me when you found out what I was, makes sense now. You're a regular little red riding hood, aren't you?" He said.
I rolled my eyes, not in the mood for his sarcasm.
"We have to save that boy. I need to talk to him and test the potion again." I said.
"And you promised to save him."
So he had heard.
"Yes. And you're helping me." I said.
"Am I?" He asked.
"Yes, you are." I said.
Our staring match was interrupted by a knock at the door.
I dropped the imperturbable charms and Barnabus went to the door. I glimpsed a man before Barnabus stepped out to talk with him. He didn't look like a servant. He was wearing leather pants and boots with unkempt hair and a scruffy face.
He didn't look like the sort you'd invite invite for tea. He reminded me of the vampire assassin Barnabus had killed. I shivered just thinking about it, images of a head being sliced off right in front of me.
Barnabus came back in a few moments later and sat back down.
"Is everything ok?" I asked.
"Of course. Now you were about to tell me why I will help you?" He said.
"Because we had a deal!" I said.
"The deal was that I would tell you what you wanted to know and you would help me. But what do I care about the well being of a werewolf that would just as soon kill me?" He said.
"Because if that Werewolf tells Snape anything we will be in big trouble!" I said.
"He doesn't know me. You're the only one that will be implicated." He said.
I stood up and walked up to him with my arms crossed.
"Are all Vampires this self serving or did I just get lucky with you?" I asked.
He tilted his head as he stood, towering over me.
"I'm still waiting for you to convince me." He said.
I glared.
"How about because it's the right thing to do? Because nobody deserves what we are doing to them. Or maybe because while you may not be implicated, I certainly will be. So goes your inside help!" I said.
He turned and walked to his liquor cart, as if he could care less about what I was saying.
"Fine. Stay here. I'll do it alone." I walked to the door.
"Stupid aristocratic jackass." I muttered.
I went to pull the handle on the door when Barnabus slammed his hand against it, his body pressing into my back.
"I can't allow that." He said.
I turned around, our bodies flush against each other as he tried to pin me.
"You aren't the boss of me. And honestly, I don't need you! You needed my help, but you can forget that now." I said.
He leaned down, a smirk playing on his face as his forehead touched mine.
"Don't you ever get tired of always being so...passionate?" He asked.
I pushed him back.
"No. Because I'm fighting in a war for the greater good. And right now, we're losing." I said.
He sighed.
"Fine. I'll help you." He said.
I narrowed my eyes.
"Why the sudden change of heart?" I asked.
"How can I resist when you look at me with such fire in your eyes?"
I glared.
"Or maybe it's because you called me an aristocratic jackass." He said with a smile, pulling away completely.
I straightened my robes as he opened the door around me and called his guard inside.
"Hauxley, I need you to get a team together to extract a werewolf from a Death Eater hideout before sunrise. Be quick about it. I'll meet you in the dungeon in one hour." He said.
The guard left in a flash of inhuman speed as Barnabus walked back inside his office.
"Happy now?" He asked.
I crossed my arms.
"I'll be happy when we've recovered him." I said.
"And where exactly are you planning to hide him? He can't exactly run amok in town and go on with his normal life." He said.
"Oh, well, I thought you'd have some place for him. You are a Vampire Lord, I thought kidnapping was a part of the routine." I said.
He smirked.
"Quite rarely, actually. I usually kill my enemies straight on. Kidnapping is so time consuming." He said.
I rolled my eyes.
"If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go change. Unless, of course, you'd like to join me?" He said.
I turned away from him.
"Suit yourself. Meet me here in twenty minutes if you need to leave to change or collect more of those hidden daggers you like to carry." He said.
I smirked and apparated home.
I changed into my training gear. Black leather trousers with a tight black top and black boots. I braided my hair back and strapped on more daggers and hid one in my boot.
I apparated back into Barnabus' office where he was waiting, sitting at his desk looking through papers.
His long blonde hair was tied back and he'd traded his suit for his own leather pants and boots. He looked good. But then, he always did. He glanced up and his eyes lingered on me before he shook his head and stood up, grabbing a black cloak.
"Are you ready?" He asked.
I nodded and followed him down to the dungeon.
"Can you make portkeys?" He asked.
"Not any that won't be detected." I said.
He rolled his eyes.
"Then apparate us one by one." He said.
I turned to the small group of three vampires I didn't know then glanced at Barnabus.
"I'll go last. Apparate for the woods just behind the ruins. Everyone will wait until I arrive." He said.
"We're going now?!" I asked.
"When do you expect us to go?" He asked.
"At dawn! He's still a werewolf!" I said.
"A werewolf in control of himself, according to you. There will be minimum security tonight, if any. They won't want to upset the Werewolves and risk them escaping and biting them." Barnabus said.
I suppose it did make sense.
"It's too dangerous in the morning. We must go now or not at all." Barnabus said.
I nodded.
"Ok, let's go." I held out an arm and the one named Hauxley stepped forward, towering over me, and grabbed my arm gently.
"Hold tight." I murmured before turning my wand and apparating to the woods beyond the ruins.
I made several trips, but once we were all gathered, Barnabus told me to wait while he and his men surveyed the area. I crouched low into a bush and waited as they swept out into the night, so skilled that I didn't even see them.
"There are no guards, you can come now." Barnabus appeared.
He led me through the ruins and down into the old dungeons where the wolves were howling and scratching the doors.
"They've picked up your scent." He said.
The other vampires looked around wearily as I made my way to the correct cell.
I glanced through the window and saw the werewolf blinking back at me nervously.
"I'm here to let you out. But I need you to come with me, you can't take off in this condition or else I won't be able to give you the other dosage in the morning and you'll remain a werewolf. Understand?" I said.
There was no second dosage. But he didn't know that.
He nodded and I pulled out my wand, aiming for the door lock. A loud crash had me turning. One of the werewolves had almost broken down his door.
"Hurry!" Barnabus said.
I shoved the door back and walked inside. The werewolf regarded me quietly as I came forward.
"Please, I'm trusting you as you trusted me. I want to help you, but I need your help in return. Can I trust you?" I said.
"Hurry up!" Barnabus shouted.
The werewolf nodded and I broke the chains holding him.
He leaped over me in one jump and shot out of the cell.
"Shit!"
I turned around and ran out, hoping the wolf hadn't taken off.
But there were two wolves out. Barnabus had sent his men to distract the enraged beast that had broken out of it's cell, but it concentrated on me. The wolf I freed was in front of the door, protecting me. The black angry wolf lunged forward, but the gray wolf I'd rescued jumped into it's path and took it down. They tussled on the ground, teeth snapping and flesh and fur tearing.
"Go! Now!" Barnabus said.
"We can't leave him!" I said.
"He'll be fine as soon as you leave! We'll stay, wait in my office!" Barnabus snapped as he shoved me back from the fighting wolves.
"I, ok. Please don't leave him!" I said.
I spun the ring and landed in the office, heart racing so fast it was pounding in my ears.
I waited minutes that felt like hours, pacing the room for any word. How were they getting back? Should I apparate to the woods again?
After almost an hour I was about to just go back myself and find out what had went wrong when the office door slammed open.
"He's here." Barnabus said, leaning into the door.
"What happened?! What took so long?" I ran forward.
"We had to run all the way back here. It takes time. Everything was fine after you left." He said.
"Where is he?" I asked.
"The dungeon, of course." He said.
"What?!"
"While he's still that beast he will stay there. I can't have the entire household on a wolf hunt. It's only hours til dawn, anyways." He said.
I tried to slip past him but he caught me around the waist.
"He's fine. Don't go down there until sunrise" He said.
I looked down at his arm around me and noticed something else.
Blood.
"You were hurt!" I gasped.
He rolled his eyes.
"I'm fine. It's just a scratch. And before you jump to any conclusions, I'm already a cursed being so I have no fear of changing into a werewolf." He said.
I said nothing and glanced at his abdomen. That wolf must have been fast to get a swipe in on him.
"Let me at least bandage it." I said.
He said nothing but he did release me and walk further into the office, dropping on the couch.
I apparated back to Donovan's and grabbed my potion kit before apparating back into the office. I wasn't sure how effective these were for vampires, but it was worth a shot.
Barnabus stripped his shirt and I tried my best not to stare at his muscled abdomen.
I cleaned the scratches and bandaged them as gently as I could. He said nothing, made no noise or movement as I worked. When I was finished, I looked up to see him staring at me.
"Does it hurt?" I asked.
He didn't answer, but leaned forward and pressed his surprisingly soft lips against mine. I froze in surprise.
And because I knew those lips hid deadly fangs beneath them.
He pulled away enough to whisper my name breathily. My real name.
"Lily."
I looked up at his curious gaze.
"What a rare creature you are." He whispered, his hand touching my cheek softly as he caressed it.
A knock sounded and I jumped back. He turned casually towards the door and Hauxley walked in with a tea cart and left it for us.
I immediately got up to make a cup, thankful for a distraction.
Barnabus didn't move, his eyes followed me, but he said nothing.
"Why did you really help tonight?" I finally asked.
He didn't look away.
"Because you asked me to." He said.
Bright sunlight peeked over the horizon and I walked towards the nearest window, staring out.
"Why are you trying so hard to save a world that wants to kill you?" He asked.
The question caught me off guard. Barnabus was good at getting under my guards.
"Someone has to, right?" I said.
I didn't know what else to say, or if I even believed that anymore.
"I should go check on him. I have to meet Severus soon." I said.
Barnabus got to his feet and pulled on his soiled shirt before leading the way to his dungeons.
The guard opened the door and I walked in with my potion kit, looking at the boy passed out on the floor.
I knelt down next to him and forced some pain relieving potions down his throat. Then I tended to the scratches he'd gotten from protecting me.
"Can you move him somewhere more comfortable?" I asked.
The guard lifted the boy and carried him out under Barnabus' instruction to put him in a guest room with guards at the door.
"He'll be asleep for awhile yet. Will you let me know when he wakes? I'd like to come back and talk to him." I said as I packed away my kit.
"Lily."
I looked up.
"You saved his life. Don't forget that when you go back this morning." He said.
I frowned, not understanding what he meant.
Until I went back.
Most of them were dead. Only two survived the night and one was missing. The one that broke out, of course.
I thought about all the blood that stained my hands as I made my way back home. I was in the bath, trying to sort through the events of the past 24 hours.
It didn't matter what life I saved. There were so many more I'd taken. Maybe the real answer to Barnabus' question isn't that I'm doing this because it needs to be done. Maybe it's for retribution. For all that had happened to me and others like me.
I slid further into the tub and submerged fully under the water, holding my breath for a moment of peace.
Maybe one day, I'll look back and say it was all for redemption.