STORIES TO BE TOLD - CHAPTER 55 (Beta'd by Snakeyez82)
I own nothing.
Severus was reclined on the couch, with his feet propped up on the table. Hermione had her head resting on Severus' leg and was stretched out on the couch. Adriana and James were curled up in a chair, while Harry and Ginny were sitting in front of the fireplace. Everyone was wide awake, but remained quiet.
Everyone jumped at the sound of loud banging on the door.
"HERMIONE, SEVERUS!" Draco screamed as he pounded harder.
Severus jumped up and opened the door, "Did you find Evan?"
"Yes! Ron took him to the infirmary!" Draco said breathlessly.
"Is he alright?" Hermione said, rushing to them.
"We just need to get there."
As Draco finished talking, they heard the floo, they looked over and saw Adriana and James had already flooed out.
When Severus and Hermione flooed to the infirmary, they were met with Albus holding a sobbing and pale Adriana.
"He will be just fine, my love," Albus was whispering into her ear.
Severus turned to the bed, and thought he was going to pass out. Evan was lying on his stomach, unconscious, the only thing visible was his blood soaked clothes and the stream of blood coming from his mouth.
"Evan!" Hermione sobbed and tried to rush to him, but was stopped by Ron.
"We have to let Poppy work." At that moment Poppy shut the certain, leaving the bed out of view.
Severus was frozen in place, this scene reminded him of the time he found Hermione after Lucius had gotten to her, leaving her blood-soaked and without a pulse. Severus started swaying and seeing black.
"Severus, are you alright?" Remus asked; he had just walked in and saw Severus looking deathly pale and about to pass out.
Severus opened his mouth but only became more light headed. Remus quickly conjured a chair and forced him to sit in it. Severus leaned over and put his head in his hands, he was sure he was going to break down.
Hermione had been sobbing into Ron's chest, and he walked her over to Severus. She bent down and grabbed Severus' shoulders, bringing his face into her shoulders. They sobbed and held onto each other for support.
"I'm so sorry, Hermione, this is all my fault. I've gotten our son killed!" Severus said, still crying.
"Severus, he isn't dead, and this isn't your fault," Hermione replied.
Before Severus could retort, Poppy came through the curtain.
"Alright, we all need to calm down," Poppy said, looking around at all the crying faces, "Evan is going to be alright. He has lost a lot of blood, has some nasty gashes on his back, and some bruises to his face and stomach, but he will be just fine. Evan will need to stay here for a day or so, but you all may see him. Although, he is still unconscious and you cannot stay for long, except Hermione and Severus of course."
Hermione and Severus got up as Poppy pulled the curtain back. Evan was now lying on his back, with a hospital gown on.
"He's so pale," Hermione whispered, walking up to him, grabbing his hand and kissing his cheek.
"It's from the blood loss, his complexion will go back to normal in a day or so," Poppy replied.
Severus walked up beside Hermione and cupped Evan's face with his shaking hand.
"You both need to sit down," Poppy said, pulling the chairs up so they could sit beside Evan.
Albus walked over to the bed, "We need to find out what happened. Severus, can you use Legilimens on him?"
Severus nodded and stood up, "Poppy, if you could bring a pensive, I will go through his mind and extract his memories that have to do with Lucius."
Severus sat on the side of the bed, and cast the spell. As soon as he did, he felt a barrier go up, and Evan started screaming and swinging his hands.
"Evan, Evan open your eyes, it's dad," Severus said gently, grabbing Evan's arms.
Evan's eyes flew open, he clutched onto Severus' shirt then started crying. Severus pulled him into his chest and held him while he cried, Hermione wrapped her arms around both of them and whispered to Evan how much she loved him.
After a few moments, Evan quieted down but was still buried in Severus' chest.
"Evan, I need to look into your mind so I can see what happened," Severus said, running a hand through Evan's hair.
"It was horrible!" Evan sobbed.
"Shh, love, it's alright. Let your father extract the memories so we can see them and you can get some rest," Hermione said soothingly, rubbing his back.
"Please, don't leave me," Evan said in a shaky voice.
"We aren't going anywhere, we are going to stay with you," Hermione said softly.
Severus and Hermione lent him back down to lay on the bed.
"Just keep eye contact, it will be quicker that way," Severus said, softly stroking Evan's cheek. Severus probed Evan's mind and took out all the memories with Lucius in them.
"Here Evan, take this, it's to help you sleep," Poppy said, uncorking the vial and helping him drink it. Evan laid his head back onto his pillow and clutched onto Severus' and Hermione's arms.
"It's alright love, we will be here when you wake," Hermione said softly, watching him drift off.
Albus conjured a table, took the pensive from Severus, and sat it down. "Hermione, Severus, I will understand if you don't want to take a look."
"No, I want to see what these monsters did to my son," Hermione replied, Severus nodding in agreement.
"I want to see too," Adriana piped up from James' chest.
"I don't know if that's a good idea," Severus said.
"Evan will show me anyway, so either way I'm going to see it," Adriana said tiredly.
Severus looked at Hermione and she nodded, "Yes, Alright."
They all crowded around the pensive, making Hermione and Severus realize how many people were actually in the room. Around the pensive was Hermione, Severus, Adrianna, Albus, Harry, Draco, Ron, and Kingsley. Standing off to the side, waiting for their family and Aurors to tell them what they saw, was Ginny, James, Minerva, Remus, and Poppy.
The group around the pensive fell into Evan's memories. The memories started with the train to Hogwarts, with Lucius trapping Evan and speaking to him, then Severus yelling at him for being out of his cabin. They went through his encounters with Marcus Carrow, the meetings at the shady bar, encountering Albus in the hallway at 4 a.m., Evan seeing Adriana at the lake and them both deciding to speak to their parents, Severus and Hermione yelling at him, the entire death eater gathering, his torture from Bellatrix, and him passing out in Ron's and Draco's arms.
They came back to the infirmary, and no one spoke a word. Hermione pushed past everyone and headed for the door, in a rage.
"Hermione!" she heard several of them call after her.
"I'M GOING TO KILL THAT BITCH! SHE TORTURED MY SON AND THEN TRIED TO RAPE HIM!" Hermione seethed as she stalked furiously toward the door.
Severus rushed up behind her and grabbed her around the waist, "Hermione, no. You can't go there, they will kill you."
"I DON'T CARE!" Hermione yelled and then started to sob.
Hermione was starting to drop to the floor when Severus turned her around and brought her into his chest. "I know love. I will kill Lucius and Bellatrix myself, but it can't be now, we have to wait."
Severus placed his arm under her knees, picked her up and carried her to Evan's bed, laying her down beside him. Hermione pulled Evan's sleeping form to her body, and sobbed into his hair.
"I am going to take Adriana to my chambers," Albus said, stroking Adriana's hair, she was sobbing into his chest again.
Severus walked up to them and kissed the back of her head, "Love, don't let Evan know you saw those memories, alright?"
Adriana nodded, not moving an inch from Albus. Once the infirmary emptied, Severus pointed his wand at the bed and made it bigger, he then got in behind Evan and wrapped his arms around him and Hermione.
Poppy walked over with dreamless sleep, "You both will take this", she said persistently. Severus and Hermione were both too tired to protest, so they took the potion, and cuddled back into Evan.
Evan woke with the sun shining on his face and many arms and legs wrapped around him. He was oddly calm. Remembering the previous nights events, he figured Poppy had put a couple of doses of a calming drought in his dreamless sleep potion.
Opening his eyes, he saw his head was in the nook of his mothers neck and she was wrapped tightly around him. His father was smushed up behind him, his head was resting on top of Evan's, their legs intertwined, one hand laid across Evan and Hermione while the other was wrapped around Evan's stomach.
Normally Evan would be embarrassed to be wrapped up like this in a public place with his parents. But, he was content with just laying in their arms and feeling them around him.
"Are you awake?" Severus asked, feeling Evan move slightly.
"Yes," Evan said quietly, and turned his head as much as he could.
"Let me see if I can get you turned around so we can talk, your mother has a death grip on you," Severus said quietly. He managed to get Evan turned around and facing him.
"Are you feeling alright?" Severus asked, pulling Evan's hand into his.
"Yes, just tired."
Severus remained quiet and looked into Evan's eyes. Unknown to him, it was making Evan nervous because he was unable to read Severus' facial expression.
"Dad, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen," Evan said in a shaky voice, tears rolling down his face.
Severus wiped his tears and kissed his face softly, "It's alright Evan, we all make mistakes."
"But this was big, I..I just don't want you and mum to hate me for this," Evan was choking back sobs now.
Severus gently grabbed Evan's chin, forcing him to look into his eyes, "Look at me, son."
Evan's tear-filled eyes looked into Severus' soft black ones.
"I love you Evan, and so does your mother. We could never hate you, no matter what you do. Yes, this was a big mistake, but you knew that as soon as you entered the Malfoy Manor, and you did your best to get out of it. Now I know you understand what those people are, and they were just using you," Severus said, speaking softly, "Evan, we love you more than you could ever realize, and I'm sorry for being an ass to you and not listening when you were trying to speak to me. If I ever do that to you again, you have permission to use an Unforgivable on me."
Evan looked at Severus' water-filled eyes and smiled.
"The same goes for me, love," Hermione chimed in by Evan's ear, "I'm sorry I wouldn't listen to you, and I love you," she said, kissing his cheek.
Evan was released from the infirmary that afternoon, with instructions to take a few days off from school and get plenty of rest.
Then entire afternoon and evening, visitors were coming in and out of Severus and Hermione's chambers. Elizabeth and Daniel flooed in, and to everyone's surprise they were accompanied by Samuel.
Samuel and Evan were sitting on the couch discussing quidditch, Samuel was a beater for his college's team.
"Where is Adriana?" Elizabeth asked.
"She spent the night with Albus and Minerva, Albus was by earlier and said she had gone to her common room with James," Severus replied.
"Severus, tell her to come down here, she was very upset last night," Hermione said tiredly.
"I tried to contact her with my mind earlier but she shut me out," Severus said.
"You don't think she would do something to that boy, Marcus was it? Aren't they in the same house?" Daniel asked.
"I can almost guarantee she will retaliate and do something, but she's not rash when it comes to getting revenge. She will think it through first, hopefully to give us enough time to talk her out of it," Severus said.
Elizabeth smirked, "Just like her father."
The next two days were hard on everyone. Evan was staying with his parents instead of in the dorm. He woke up screaming a few times, so he started spending the night in his parent's bed. They hadn't seen Adriana, she stopped going to meals in the Great Hall, and Severus wasn't due to have her in class until the following day. They were assured by James and Lily that she was ok, but she was refusing to come out of her dorm unless it was for class.
The ministry had given Hermione as much time as she needed off, she was spending all her time laying in bed with Evan and sleeping. Severus was worn out and felt helpless, he was watching his wife and kids fall into a depression, along with the one he was falling into himself.
The next morning Severus rolled out of bed, to see Evan walking out the door.
"Evan, wait. Are you sure you're ready to go back to class? There are rumors going around, about what happened. Although between your sister, the Potters, the Weasleys, and Malfoy, they seem to have them under control."
"Yes dad, I'm tired of lying around here and I miss my friends and Adriana."
Severus nodded and let him go get ready.
"Hermione," Severus said, touching her face, and her eyes fluttered open, "Are you going to go to work today? Evan is returning to classes."
She shook her head, "No, I'm not feeling well."
Severus sighed and kissed her lips, "Ok, but you're getting out of this bed when I return this afternoon."
Severus and Evan walked into the Great Hall. Evan was greeted by all of the Gryffindors with hugs and warm smiles, including James who had taken to sitting with them.
"It's good to see Evan up and around," Albus commented as Severus sat down.
"Yes, he seems to be adjusting. Have you seen Adriana this morning?"
"No, she hasn't been here for a meal since before the situation with Evan. I've sent house elves with food, to make sure she is nourished. I believe she is blaming herself for what happened to her brother."
"Yes, I was afraid of that. I will have to approach her after her potions lesson today, she has been avoiding all of us for far too long."
Before leaving the Great Hall, Severus walked up to the Gryffindor table.
"James, make sure Adriana comes to my class this afternoon. Tell her if she skips it I will personally come and remove her from her dorm, and I'm sure the other ladies in the dorm will not appreciate having their professor in their personal space," Severus said, giving him a cheeky grin. James grinned and nodded.
With Evan back in classes, the rumor mill was running high. Evan did his best to ignore them, but it was hard with all of his classmates whispering around him.
Severus noticed Evan looked pale and tired when he entered his potions lesson. Of course, it was Gryffindor and Slytherin, so Evan was in for a tension-filled class.
Evan and Lily were standing over a cauldron, when a Slytherin named Derrick approached them.
"I hear you're on our side, Gryffindor," Derrick said with a grin.
"I would never follow idiotic fouls, such as yourself," Evan sneered quietly.
"That's not what I heard. Apparently Bella did a good number on you, maybe I could get a shot with Lily," Derrick said suggestively, rubbing his hand up her arm.
"Don't you dare touch her!" Evan said, pushing him back into a table.
Severus was now stalking over, he had caught the end of their conversation.
"I will do whatever I like!" Derrick growled, and started to grab Lily.
Before Evan could move, Lily swung her hand and punched Derrick in the face. Derrick fell back into Severus, who in turn grabbed him, and slammed him into the nearest wall.
"I would suggest you keep your hands to yourself, boy. If you ever touch Miss Potter or even look at her again I will hex you into next week. You will have the same fate if you speak to my son, as well," Severus sneered an inch from the boy's face.
"B-b-but she punched me!" Derrick stuttered.
"Be happy that's all I let her do to you," Severus said, throwing him down, "NOW GET OUT OF MY CLASS!"
About that time the bell rang, all of the students rushed out of his class, except Evan and Lily.
"Lily, are you alright?" Severus asked as he walked back to them.
"Yes Uncle Severus, sorry I hit him," Lily said shyly.
"Don't be, love, better you did it before I did," Severus said, smiling at her. He looked over at Evan and noticed he was very pale.
"Evan, are you alright?" Evan turned around and threw up all over the floor.
Severus flicked his wand and cleaned up the mess, "I think you've had enough for the day, lets get you back to my chambers."
After leaving Evan with Hermione, Severus came back and realized it was time for Adriana's class.
He waited, and finally James and Adriana lagged in. She looked just as bad, if not worse, then Evan. Her face seemed to be sunken in, dark circles under her eyes, and pale.
"Good afternoon," Severus said to the class, watching Adriana avoid eye contact with him. He flicked his wand at the board, and the class got to work.
The class was almost over, Severus had left Adriana alone so she could work, but he decided it was time for them to talk.
"Adriana."
No response.
"Adriana, don't block me out, I know you can hear me. I just want to speak with you after class, love, so don't leave when the bell rings."
The bell rang, and the class gradually filed out. Adriana was pretending to stay behind, but planned on sneaking out with the rest of the class.
As she approached the door, Severus gently grabbed her. "You are so much like your mother sometimes," Severus said, smiling.
Adriana wouldn't look at him and walked back toward his desk, with Severus following her.
"I just wanted to make sure you were ok, we haven't seen you in days."
Adriana nodded, looking at the floor.
"Adriana," Severus said, grabbing her chin and tilting her head up, "Look at me."
Tears rolled out of Adriana's eyes, she lunged into his chest and started sobbing.
"I'm sorry dad, I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I didn't know what was going on with Evan, or I wouldn't have said anything about my situation with James, so he could speak to you. It's my fault, I know. I'm sorry, please don't hate me!" Adriana cried into her father's chest.
Severus pulled her head out of his chest and raised it, "Love, I could never hate you. None of this is your fault, I don't want to hear you say that again. How you and your brother could ever think your mother and I would hate either of you is beyond me," Severus said.
"And I love you", Severus said, knowing that using their connection she would be able to feel the emotion behind it.
"I love you too, daddy," Adriana said, crying into his chest again.
"Sorry to interrupt," Albus said from the doorway, "But Severus, I have come to inform you that you and your children have the rest of the week off, as well as Hermione from the ministry. May I suggest staying at your home, to give yourselves a little break from the castle."
-Review please!!
