So.
I really didn't want to post this chapter, yet. I have more that was part of it, but...it just felt right to end the chapter where I did. PSA: I am not the best at fighting scenes, as I've come to find out, so that was really my biggest hold up on this chapter. Lots and lots of editing, deleting, rewriting: you get the picture, I'm sure. However, I am, surprisingly, pretty happy with how it came out. BUT, please feel free to leave any constructive criticism. I would love to know if there was anything 'too much' or that could have been written better. I'm always very open to learning.
Anyways, welcome to all the new followers, so very happy to have you here. As always, I appreciate the reviews and favorites. I absolutely love hearing from any of you; whether its a simple line or opinion or questions, they all make my day.
As always,
Enjoy
~GhostDoor
Chapter 28
Puissant
"Be not the slave of your own past- plunge into the sublime seas, dive deep, and swim far, so you shall come back with new self-respect, with new power, and with an advanced experience that shall explain and overlook the old." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
August 1993
In the City of Children, there were many things that were 'known'. Every mother and father would instill these valued principles into their children, as their own parents had done- whose parents had done the same, and so-on and so-on for as many generations had walked the sandy streets of Bachchon Ke Shahar. Of the many 'knowns', there was only one that should never, under any circumstances, be sniffed at.
On the eve before the Great Festival, it is tradition that a Master should spar only another Master. To spar anyone but that who's name was drawn from the fire- especially an apprentice- would bring not only shame on said Master, but more-so misfortune upon the Master's apprentices.
To some, bad luck was a worse fate than even death. It would cling to you, a spider web caught in the fine hair on your cheek, never to be shaken throughout the rest of your life. It would follow you through every broken bowl, every stub of a toe, every hole in the knee of your best pants. You would become a 'known' of the worst kind. The one no boy would kiss, no girl would marry; who knows, your misfortune could pass on for generations. You would travel this life with a perpetually too light change purse, a bed that was never comfortable, and a grave dug too small.
"He's breaking tradition-"
"Bad luck, he's brought bad luck on his apprentices-"
"-she's a foreigner, how could Rustam bring her here!"
Harry slunk back, hiding behind a group of equally shocked and whispering teenagers. The mentors were exceptionally loud, shouting over heads to one another. They were agitated, the air buzzing and tingling with their harsh words. No one seemed to know how to feel about the turn of events; only that it was very very exciting.
"Bhadra!" Harry whisper-shouted, catching the older girl's attention as she scurried past. She froze, eyes widening in clear alarm at the sight of him.
"Green Eyes, what are you still doing here?" She pushed through her peers, gripping Harry tightly by the bicep, intent on dragging him off. "You need to leave. You shouldn't see-"
Harry ripped his arm free, Shadowfoot releasing a growl in warning when the girl tried to grab for him again. She only scowled at the pair, glancing over her shoulder quickly.
"What's happening, Bhadra? Why does he want to fight Jo?" His voice swam with confusion, but Harry wasn't stupid, he could see the way that man had looked at Jo, hear the biting words. The boy just didn't understand why.
Bhadra only sighed, still watching the others warily. It wasn't safe for Harry here. Jerking her chin, she led him into the shadows of boulders. "It's tradition," she started, licking her lips when she caught the eyes of an air apprentice. Thankfully, he looked away under the heat of her glare. "Two mentors are chosen, and they must spar one another for the honor of good luck. The winner of the match blesses their apprentices. My father always called it stupid superstition, but everyone always follows the old ways."
There was a great surge of noise as Shvetang moved into the clearing. The match would begin soon.
"What Shvetang has done is very unlucky. A master should never challenge an apprentice, it's a very bad thing to do." Harry tried to step back out, standing on his toes to see, but she pushed him back forcefully, tone scolding and harsh. "Listen, it's not safe for you. You must leave. Shvetang hates outsiders, Harry- as in, thinks they should be executed for ever stepping foot inside the city. If-" When, but she wisely kept that thought to herself, "-Jo loses, he'll incite a riot. Master Daljeet and my father have kept him at bay these last few years, but he has let everyone know his true feelings on your family's presence. He has many peoples' ears, Harry, and they have listened to him. They don't want outsiders here. They think she will fail- hoping for it, actually. "
"She won't." Harry puffed up with a stubborn scowl, though his stomach flipped in unease. "Jo won't lose."
"Go, Harry. Please." Bhadra insisted once more, her tone hinting at pleading while her face remained resolute. She didn't look him in the eye, too afraid he would see her disbelief- her pity- instead she gently pushed at his shoulder.
After a long minute of Harry searching her face, the boy huffed and deflated, chin dipping in a sharp and disgruntled nod. His faithful companion nudged him along into the shadows with a quiet whine. Bhadra inhaled deeply, neck prickling as the air crackled and burned with tension. Emotions were running high, and the magic surrounding them reacted to it, pulsing and raging with each yell and whisper. She returned to the others, frowning harshly at the air apprentice who had been watching her. He smirked in return, purposefully breaking away to join the crowd opposite them; Shvetang's supporters.
The group was noticeably larger than her own.
"He's going to shit his pants."
"-No idea, that idiot. She's been ready for her mark since that spar between her and Master."
"Doesn't mean she can take on a Master, Posha. She could barely stand after that."
"Sure she can," Posha said, waving a hand with an easy smile that Bhadra desperately wanted to grow upon her own face. "She's the general!"
The boy's words were loud and very proud. They caught the attention of everyone in their small group. Enthusiastic nods answered him, a spark of understanding passing between the earth identities. Secretive smiles were shared, which bred even greater confusion for Bhadra.
"The General! The General!" Tala, an old earth mentor, began to shout. He smiled broadly, raising a rallying fist. Quickly, the others took up the chant, stomping in time as their words filled the air like the beating of war drum. Bhadra joined in halfheartedly. She wished she could be as confident as the woman's comrades and Harry, but she knew Shvetang. The man was a ruthless and hateful creature. This would not be a simple spar. This was to be a battle that would only end in blood and misfortune. He would see to it.
Bhadra looked to her father, hoping for some sign, anything, that this would turn out okay. However, Rustam was too focused on speaking quietly with his apprentice, expression hidden from his daughter. Josephine wore a stoic mask, an eyebrow twitching up then back down as she listened intently. The girl turned away, eyes tracking Shvetang instead. The ice master had started picking his nails, bored and entirely at ease, as he waited for his opponent.
The chanting suddenly grew louder. Cheers and jeers from all those in attendance filled the air. The magic was reacting again, closing in and filling the air like a thick smoke that sizzled inside her lungs as the tension prickled along her skin like lightning.
Josephine had entered the clearing.
He watched her approach, smile growing with amusement at the sight of her bare feet. Beyond him stood a large group, all of which were cheering loudly for the man. Behind her stood a much smaller pack, their chant 'The General' ringing in her ears. Her lips twitched, shoulders pushing back to look taller as their confidence filled her. Merlin knows she needed it.
"Ah, at least you are not a coward." Shvetang laughed,folding his hands together and dipping his chin in a mocking bow. She finally stopped, leaving only a few steps between them. When she didn't return his gesture,that simpering smile only widened. His voiced dipped indulgently, as if he were sharing great wisdom with an ignorant child. "Come now, you mustn't appear rude. Opponents bow to one another, foreigner, to show their respect."
"Right." An eyebrow rose as she continued to watch him, neither offering a bow nor anymore words. His smile dropped a fraction, eyes narrowing at the blatant insult. The crowd grew louder the longer they stood, anxious for them to get on with it.
"What is it they are shouting?" He placed a hand to his ear, crinkling his eyebrows in confusion. "There are so few people, I can barely hear them."
Her lips finally lifted with the tiniest slip of a smile. "Just a silly nickname."
The confused smile dimmed, yet instead of pressing, he waved away her words. Impatience had set in, the man rolling his shoulders and raising his arms, once again appearing strangely welcoming. "Let's not keep them waiting any longer. Come, foreigner, let me defeat you, so that I may return to the festivities."
Merlin, he is a talker. Jo stepped back with a shrug, nodding for him to start this shit show.
And start it, he did.
Blue eyes widened when the man leaped backwards, a block of ice propelling him as a cloud of snow exploded from around his hands. Jo ran backwards, pulling at the ground below as the cloud separated into multiple lines of spiraling ice crystals. They were fast, nearly too fast to watch, clumping together and solidifying into giant, wickedly sharp spears.
She bent her arms, pulling from the earth four large rock shields. They flanked her, leaving barely a gap to watch Shvetang. He was still moving, gracefully dancing as more and more spears quickly filled the sky with a volley of icy death.
THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK
The sound reverberated around her, drowning out the cheers. More and more came, chipping and cracking away at her shields. It didn't stop for two long minutes, a worryingly large fissure appearing in the shield protecting her back.
"Shit."
She stumbled and nearly fell, throwing herself further behind the stone to better protect herself from the openings. Warmth- that terrible sticky and growing warmth- spread down her leg. She chanced a glance, grimacing at the sight. A spear had snuck through the gap, ripping a nasty gash across her thigh. Ice crystals formed along the opened flesh, leaving the wound to both burn and freeze.
Frostbite. His attacks cause frostbite. A pained grunt left her as she rolled her pant leg, a feeble hope that the tight bunch would be enough to stifle the blood. "Shit."
There was a final, incredibly loud THUNK, which was followed by an even louder sigh. "This is boring, foreigner! Come out. Don't act a coward, now- come and fight me with everything you have!"
Jo took another moment, inhaling deeply and holding the breath. He was baiting her…badly. However, there was a horribly adamant bite of pride rearing its ugly head, and it was loud. This was her chance to finally test everything she had learned. She could go all out to finally see if all the training- to see if she- was finally enough. And, if in the process she could shut this cuck up…well then, wouldn't that just be aces.
On the exhale, her shields turned to dust. She saw his smile for only a second, her body already turning to bring down a twister of rubble. Through the bits of rock, she watched as his own cloud of snow gathered around him.
She stomped and he flicked his wrist, bullets of rock and ice colliding between them.
Jo punched and Shevetang snapped his fingers, rocketing boulders smacked back to earth by heaps of snow.
She frowned and he smiled, swirling storms of rock and snow dancing between them.
"You are quite proficient," he paused, applauding her as one does a toddler doing somersaults. The indulgent expression fell into a terrible sneer, teeth bared as he chewed through his new insult. "-at the basics. Is this all the 'special' foreigner has to offer?"
The witch took a step back, frown pulling deeper at the feral expression her opponent wore. Just what had she done to earn such hatred? Her eyes danced over him, briefly studying all those who supported the ice master. They wore the same animosity, the same fiery glares of hatred twisting and maiming their cheers into venomous jeers. This was more important to them than a simple spar- meant something much greater. More so, she was starting to think that perhaps she had unwittingly entered a trial without knowing the charges placed against her.
She just didn't understand.
Her distracted thoughts cost her, though. Another icy spear flew past her, taking with it skin and cloth. A yelp bubbled from her throat, fingers turning sticky as she clung to the freezing yet burning hole beneath her ribs. She took another step back, arm raising to fling chunks of earth at the man. Once more, he deflected them with laughable ease, and laugh he did- she was learning he quite liked laughing at her.
"You are pathetic, foreigner." The man bemoaned, crossing his arms and tapping a foot with a pout. With a huff, Shvetang turned to instead address his audience- she was clearly not a threat. "You see, now? You see what I have told you all along. A foreigner has no place in our city, learning our ways, taking part in our traditions! These outsiders do not understand- and they never will! They are selfish. They only want what they cannot have- to take it for themselves! And just as her people did in the past, she only desires to exploit us! We must clean our city of such filth, we must protect our land- our people!" He turned back, but he did not grace her with his attention, eyes only for those who stood behind her. "Do you understand this, dear friends? This foreigner-"
Something finally snapped then. The mocking, the laughter, the hateful eyes; she couldn't take it anymore. Magic rushed from her, violently crashing and rumbling beneath her skin as it soaked into the earth below. The ground shuddered, echoes of rocks grinding and scraping against one another drowning out Shventang's proud voice. The man paused, eyes narrowed in surprised confusion at the sudden rumbling and tumbling that shook the ground beneath his feet. And perhaps she was being a bit dramatic now, but what would be the point of the Malfoy bloodline if she couldn't utilize some of that flair and showmanship.
The witch pulled her fist back, jumping up to swing down at the earth. When she landed, grunting as her fist collided with literal rock, an ear shattering CRACK flooded the air. The earth split, splintering away from the witch as dust exploded into the wind. A crevice formed, sinking down into darkness, rocks and dirt dancing along its edges before plunging into the depths below.
When the ash haired woman lifted her eyes, the piercing blue meeting his with an irritated scowl; Shvetang took a wary step back. The scowl twitched, the ghost of amusement lost in the shadows of her creation. Two shafts climbed from the ground, rocks grinding and scraping as they grew higher and higher until he had to lean his head back to see the tops. When the shaking stopped, a violent huff left her nose, eyes narrowing into a thoughtful glare as she stood back up on shaky legs. Finally, the man really looked at her, his mocking smile replaced with a disgruntled frown. Jo took a step forward, arms hanging loosely at her sides. Her head cocked to the right slightly, eyebrows furrowing as she considered just what she had to say.
Sirius held his breath, Harry's fingers tangled painfully into the fur of his neck as they watched and waited. The thought that they shouldn't be here looped through his mind at snitch speed. Harry wasn't safe, that much the girl had made painfully clear. Yet, when Harry had circled back, intent on watching the spar from atop the boulders, Sirius hadn't stopped him. Although, given his current body status, he wasn't sure exactly how he could have done so- but that was neither here nor there. Truthfully, he had wished to witness this just as much as the boy.
Just what was Josephine Delacroix capable of, now?
She looked incredibly angry down there, blue eyes flashing with lips tugged low in a disapproving frown and standing stubbornly tall. The air vibrated around him, and he could feel it, crashing along the wind and barreling through his bones- Delacroix's magic. It crawled beneath his claws, entwining itself within the pebbles and dirt, the tiny pieces of nature vibrating as her magic filled them with life. The fur along his neck rose, ears pinning back with a whine as the air turned heavier with the opponents' fluctuating energies. Harry shifted next to him, seemingly unaffected by the suffocating magic.
"Come on, Jo. You can do it," he whispered, leaning even further over the edge to get a better look. Sirius joined him, body hugging close to the rock face as they continued to watch and wait.
Finally, the witch opened her mouth. Everything turned very, very still in the pause. The jeering and cheering had gone deathly silent, this 'spar' having evolved into a serious performance of strength. The air cleared, all that magical tension rushing back towards the witch and her frowning opponent.
"My name is Josephine."
Then, she threw her arms wide, defiant frown set as she brought her hands together. A sharp clap pierced the air.
Sirius scrabbled backwards, jaw falling open as those two perfectly crafted pillars exploded. They flew apart, disassembling totem poles as each layer propelled towards the ice master viciously. For one brief moment, Sirius saw the white haired man's eyes blow wide.
Icy chunks formed in the air, colliding with the discs of earth in deafening blows. Dirt and snow filled his nose as Josephine and Shvetang continued to throw attack after attack. The witch had started to advance, each stomp bringing her closer and closer to the ice master. He created icy spikes and hurtling meteors, but the witch didn't stop, crushing his delays with terrifyingly accurate boulders.
Through it all, Harry gasped and cheered, his voice joining the tiny group below. Sirius could only whine, ears flattening even more as the spindly fingers of fear tightened around his stomach. Just how strong had Delacroix become? She could…Godric, she would demolish him. This type of magic was terrifying. How could he face such raw power?
Suddenly, the flying chunks of earth and ice came to a halt, the silence jarring both boy and dog. The air crackled again, an anticipation pumping in their blood- for what? No one could really say. The air smothered him, a song of power rippling along his skin with the promise of a display that would push him down and fill his dreams with hope for such strength. Sirius dug his claws into the dirt, tail twitching when Delacroix only stood there, eyebrows furrowed in that familiar expression of 'Fuck this'.
"Well, you have surprised me, Josephine." Shvetang tried for a smile, but it didn't quite reach its mark. A grimace twisted his lips, hazel eyes narrowing with outright contempt. How dare this foreigner try and make a mockery of him. He would educate her, show her what a true Master was capable of. "Yet, I still find myself…underwhelmed. Perhaps, it's time for a real lesson."
Jo could only listen, hunched slightly in favor of the bleeding hole in her side. She could feel a bead of sweat, rolling and slipping from the base of her hair over the knobs of her spine- down and down it traveled, joining the slick valley of her lower back. Harsh bursts of breath left her, lungs burning and pleading for just a moment, one moment to replenish all of her extremities with precious oxygen. The muscles in her arms had a spasm, quick little bursts of harsh contractions that yelled for her to stop- please just forfeit, you're doing too much!
But her magic was full, beating and rocking under her skin violently. It whispered to her lungs, 'Just a little longer, you can go a little longer'. It scolded her muscles, 'This is what we've been training for, stop acting so weak!'. It soothed her, clearing her brain of the exhausted fog slithering through. 'Show them,' it chanted, wrapping around her as it flowed into the earth, branching as a tree to root her into the dirt and stone so eager to accept it. 'Show them what we can do'.
Jo blinked slowly, realizing a second too late that the beads of sweat had prickled, the slick of her skin raising gooseflesh as the air turned frigid. A gasp sounded in the silence, followed by shouts of outrage.
Shit.
She should have paid better attention.
Sapphire eyes widened with dread, mouth parting for a deep inhale as the wave of snow crashed over her.
Silence.
Everyone had gone completely silent, staring in shock at the thick blanket of snow that covered the clearing. The group that had wholeheartedly supported Jo were frozen, faces still twisted with fury- none so angry as Rustam. The grizzly man was the first to break the silence.
"NO!" Rustam released a booming yell, stomping towards the battleground. "YOU'VE GONE TOO FAR!"
More yelling answered the man as Shvetang's supporters surged forward to meet the angered earth identities.
Sirius took a step back, grabbing Harry's shirt tail between his teeth. It was time to go.
"No, Shadowfoot- geroff- NO!" Harry whipped an arm around blindly, eyes never leaving that pristinely smooth snow. Sirius whined, ducking the flailing limb, while stubbornly keeping hold of the fabric. The boy lurched forward, intent on climbing down the boulder- to do what? Sirius desperately did not want to find out. He dug his claws in, pulling Harry back harshly. "JO! COME ON!"
The canine's ears fell back, whining on as Harry screamed desperately for Delacroix. The horrid stench of fear filled his nose, drifting along the air from more than just the boy. The shouting grew until it thundered all around them, curses and condemnation, as the earth identities held back their master while the other side jeered them on.
They called Delacroix weak. They spit on the ground to commemorate her defeat. They laughed at how naive the foreigner had been, taking on Shvetang the Ice Master- a true Child of the Mother.
The Earth identities also spit upon the ground, condemning Shvetang to misfortune for such violence. They denounced his flouting of their traditions. They named him a traitor of their ways- a deviant of the Mother's teachings.
"JO!" Harry fell to his knees, still screaming hoarsely while the adults shouted- Why weren't they helping her?! Bhadra was the only one to see the boy's distress, brown eyes dropping so as to not witness such a sad display.
She was the first to notice a shift in the snow.
It shifted and bumped, cracks forming along the glittering blanket.
"Baba." She called softly, gripping her father's arm harshly. "Baba, look-"
Rustam was the second to see, the man falling silent as the rest shouted around them. "Shut up! Shut up, move back- Back!"
The others murmured to one another, confused as they stumbled away. Shvetang, who had disappeared among the crowd of supporters, reappeared at the head of the group. His wide smile fell, disbelief clear in his eyes as he too watched the snow bulge and distort. A ripple of excited murmurs filled the air, everyone watching as the snow continued to expand up from where Delacroix had stood.
There came a tiny explosion of powdery, glittering snow. The head of a beautifully crafted rock badger poked its way out, sniffling and snuffling as it crawled from the hole. A tiny churr floated into the wind, the badger circling the hole to dig and scrape at its edges. It chirped happily, sitting back to watch as one arm appeared- followed quickly by a second- and, to the cheers of one very relieved green eyed boy, a head full of snow filled ash-grey hair finally broke through.
Blue eyes, icier than the snow around her, glared right at the man who had buried her.
"R-rr-right-t," her teeth were chattering uncontrollably, limbs shaking violently as she scraped and pulled herself from the icy tomb. "I-I'm f-fu-fucked off, n-n-now."
Sirius's bum hit the ground, disbelief and pure awe weighing him down as the witch stood tall, even as her knees banged together from shivering. He was sure that had been it, Delacroix wasn't coming back from that- how in Merlin's name did she survive?
"Kick his arse, Jo! Kick his bloody arse!" Harry was shouting now, voice gravelly and hoarse, but so full of joy it didn't matter.
Thank Godric, the pair thought as Sirius sagged into Harry's tight embrace, his godson coughing away the last of his panic and fear.
"How."
Shvetang hadn't come closer, still frozen amid his fellow supporters. He looked properly unsettled by the shivering woman. "How did you survive?"
"B-badg-gers are v-very g-good d-d-diggers," she stuttered, shrugging once. Jo was distracted, though, eyes scanning the shadowy boulders and walls. She could have sworn she heard Harry shouting at her to 'kick his bloody arse'. However, she'd already learned this lesson, so the witch rolled her head, releasing a sharp crack as she returned her focus completely on the fuckwit that tried to bury me alive.
"This isn't possible," he snapped, finally stepping back into the clearing. There was unease in his eyes, though, a slip in that confidence that had filled him in the beginning. "You are a foreigner! You-"
"Y-you're wr-wrong." She paused, clenching her jaw tightly in hopes of stopping all that chattering. "You're…wrong," she repeated, rasping words drawn out as loud as she could make them. A sigh left her, eyes trailing over every man and woman behind Shvetang. She cleared her throat, words coming out much stronger to reach all those who found her presence so detestable. "I'm not here for your secrets or as some arsehole hellbent on exploiting your people. I only came here to heal, to fix my magic…." She couldn't help the snort, eyes briefly rolling to stare up at the night sky. "Believe it or not, I've bigger problems than trying to uncover all your secret magic tricks. I'm just…well, I'm honestly too boring for all of that. All I wanted was to be strong enough to protect my kid."
Hissing and whispering filled their little group, glares turning uncertain and frowns growing confused. Shvetang looked as if he had sucked on a lemon, face twisting as they mumbled around him. He whispered something harshly at those closest to him, but she couldn't hear it. Their faces hardened in response, though, so she presumed it was safe to assume it wasn't in her favor.
"But." They all went quiet again, straining to hear her soft words. Jo bent her arms, shoulders rising in another shrug as the snow bulged and shifted all around her. "If you need me to prove my worth, I'll give it a proper go."
Fine powdery snow filled the air as dozens upon dozens of stone creatures burst from below. Rock wolves and monkeys, hippogriffs and bulls, large cats and armadillos, griffins and zebras, coconut crabs and graphorns, kimodo dragons and an erumpent (who bumped a rock rhino out of her way), and many many more. Finally, from behind the witch an explosion of snow announced her giant entrance: an elephant with great curling tusks towered high above them all as she swung her massive head in a fantastic show of power. Jo stood in the center, allowing herself just a moment of pride as her little army pawed and hooved at the snow. She let her lips curl up, the beat of her magic echoing through each stone creature.
"I thought it was nothing but a silly nickname, general?" Shvetang murmured as he approached the badger, who was still churring and chirping away as it cheerfully scurried about in the snow. He knelt down, running a hand over its perfectly chiseled back. Its back leg thumped in response, a happy chirp vibrating through the stone and dirt and into the man's fingers. Adorable, the man couldn't help but think, scowling even as the creature spun in a happy circle.
It stared up at him, eyes dull as the magic receded- the dim of death entering those soulfully large eyes. The creature crumbled away, dirt and dust returned to the wind. His ice spear remained, mud running along the blade with the viscosity of blood. His eyes rose, teeth bared in just one more smile. Jo stared back, frown tugged low as she considered the type of man Shvetang was showing himself to be. Cruel, she thought with a harsh exhale through her nose. A cruel, pompous, peacocking cunt.
The irony of it wasn't lost on the witch.
"You really are a piece of work. Rustam wasn't exaggerating at all, ey?" She watched the air around him, it shimmered and rippled, growing colder and colder as yet another volley of those deadly spears pieced themselves together. "Little bugger was cute, too."
"He was a distraction," Shvetang corrected her, shrugging carelessly. "No more games, general. Let us truly fight, yes?"
The Ice Master suddenly moved, arms thrown forward in the largest movement yet seen of the man. Graceful and fluid, he spun his hands as his arms danced through the air to beckon something from the snow beneath his feet. It bulged and began to rise, growing larger and larger as snow and ice clumped to it. Jo watched silently, fingers twitching as definition carved through the snow creature. Before anything else, she took note of the horns- a huge, thick ice helmet that curled down and over its face before tapering into sharp points. The muskox snorted, a cloud of snow leaving the nostrils where air should have been.
It was huge.
Shvetang offered yet another smile, subdued though it may be. "My spirit animal. You will find its power much greater than your toy statues." His fingers curled down and the muskox followed, lowering itself until the man could climb atop its back. "So tell me, which is your spirit animal? It will be the only real obstacle in this sea of rubble."
The witch snorted in response, arms bending in a shrug. The rock animals reacted instantly, dropping into offensive postures, hackles rising and fangs bared in an all too real display of aggression. "You tell me."
The two stared at one another, silence settling over as they waited for the other to strike first. To those watching, it wasn't clear who did; in the next second, there was an explosion of ice and rock. Shvetang's hands, held flat and poised like blades, blurred as he sliced them through the air. Ice spears pierced the wolves and bulls, their dust and pebble remains filled the air before shattering the spears with a barrage impact. Jo stomped, adding yet more layers of rock to her advancing army. A rock gorilla barreled to the head, teeth bared in fury as it snatched spears from the air and crushed them. Jo focused on it, hands lifting to guide it as it closed in on Shvetang.
It fell under a boulder of ice.
Shvetang narrowed his eyes, fingers spreading wide as his lifted his hands high above his head. Another avalanche began to take form behind him, splitting around the muskox to crash down over the incoming wave of rock creatures. The witch's face twisted in a grimace as her magic snapped back from the multiples of her crushed creations.
As her next wave struggled through the barrage of spears and ice boulders, the man studied the one creature that had yet to move forward: The elephant. He was sure that had to be the spirit animal. If he took out the elephant, it would be nearly as effective as a physical blow. The heart of her magic would be directly tied to the spirit animal- and it would hurt. Even from so far away, he could see the glisten of sweat along her neck and face, the ragged expansion and explosive depletion of her chest as she gasped for breath. She was tired. He could end this quickly.
Once more, he spread his fingers and lifted his hands high and wide. The foreigner watched him warily as an even larger avalanche took form behind him, cresting peaks of ice, sharp and thick enough to slice through her animals hardening along the wave. She lifted her chin stubbornly and straightened back to her full height, arms going wide as her creatures stopped and coiled to jump. Her eyes narrowed, face growing slack as she squinted over his head.
The confusion on her face forced the ice Master to pause. Then, when the expression quickly morphed into one of panic, his avalanche fell as a pit of uncertainty filled him.
"FLUFFY, NO!"
Shvetang froze, confused by her words. A trick?
A terrible shiver shot up his spine. It tingled at the base of his skull, a trail of goosebumps spreading over his skin. Slowly the man turned his head, eyes widening the further he looked. Three pairs of rolling red eyes glared back from three enormous heads baring sharp teeth longer than his own body- all of which were very much level with the Ice Master. He did not scream, no matter how much he thought he should, but an extremely unsteady wheeze deflated him like a balloon as the monster snorted on him. Wet…slimy…a mist of mucus showered over him.
"Fluffy, come here. Now."
The hell hound snorted at him once more before merely stepping over the man and his giant muskox. It bounded across the clearing, tail wagging ferociously as it closed in on the woman. She gave the monster a halfhearted scold, crystalline eyes softening into pools of warmth. Even as cries of fear filled the air, the witch only rained calming pats over the heads.
"The Death Dog!"
"Beast of the Underworld!"
"Look at her! She treats it like a pet!"
The cerberus gazed at them all, ears flicking back at their fearful shouts. Jo shushed him, trying to lure him behind her. However, Fluffy only squirmed, anxiously circling the witch over and over as the voices grew louder.
"C'mon, sweet, go and lie down- go on. There's nothing to worry about, ey? Go on." Fluffy wouldn't budge, though, a low whine rumbling beneath her fingers as she pushed against his chest. He fidgeted, all three heads turning in different directions to take in all of the commotion. "Fluffy, please-"
"Listen to you, pleading with a beast." Shvetang had regained himself, baring his teeth in a disgusted snarl at the display. "Such treachery! Only one so drenched in death could befriend a hell hound. How dare you bring such a disgusting monster into our city!" The Ice Master wasted no time. A spear, much larger than any he had produced so far, took form above his head. The ash-haired witch scowled thunderously at him, swinging into a low kick that raised a rock wall in front of the wretched beast.
"You don't touch him!" Her army of statues sprang to life at the words, stampeding forward in a deafening cacophony of stone claws and hooves. Cracks formed in their wake, splintering the ground into rising slabs. They crashed to the ground, rolling forward in an earth trembling attempt to protect the advancing force. The cerberus' growl could be heard over it all, sending fear through nearly all those in attendance. Fluffy stood over his witch, brown eyes swirling with the flames of the underworld, three sets of teeth bared as they lowered to surround Jo protectively.
Shvetang kept pace, obliterating rock creatures left and right as he advanced forward. Unintelligible shouts of rage left him, this was too much! First, the woman invades his city- his home- stealing their ways, including herself in traditions she had no right to even learn of, and now, she taints their city even more with this monster of death! This witch was truly a blemish upon them. Filth, she's contaminating us with her filth. His left arm lifted high, taking aim for the monster-
"Enough."
Fire rained down on them, snow and rock destroyed within the molten heat. Jo turned away, shielding her eyes from the explosion of light, the fine hairs along her arms singed in the heatwave. Shvetang took a similar position, his great muskox melting out from beneath him as he sank to the ground.
"What is the meaning of this?" Daljeet's soft words were bellied by the flicker of anger hidden within the wrinkles and folds of his old eyes. He frowned severely, stepping between the two, sandals burning as he walked over the embers of their battle. "Such defiance…such dishonor. You dare break our traditions? To spill the blood of a friend-" His voiced quivered, a tear leaving one glistening, disappointed eye. "To spill the blood of any creature on our sacred land…despicable. And you call yourself a Child of The Mother? Your hatred is a sully upon The Mother."
"Master-" Shvetang rose to his knees, defiance written in his scowl. Hazel eyes glared at her, hate turning them to liquid gold. Jo could only sigh, eyes moving skyward as exhaustion beat her down to finally sit. "She should not be here! You invited such a creature into our city- look at her, she must be cloaked in death!"
"So you defile yourself- your beliefs- to take another life?" White hair fell over the Ice Master's face, head bowed as Daljeet scolded him. "You must cleanse yourself of such hatred, Shvetang. Go- go wherever it is you find yourself most pure, and rid your heart of such darkness. That is the only thing that does not belong in our city."
The old man turned on his heel, disappointed eyes meeting every face in the audience until they turned away in shame. "All of you should do this. It is not the way of The Mother to hate. Look within your hearts and banish the darkness that has taken root there." When they did not move, only then did the old man raise his voice. "AWAY! LEAVE THIS PLACE- NOW!"
Hushed whispers followed the dispersing crowd, sounding more like hisses in the dark as the snakes returned to their dens. Jo watched them go, the familiar shiver of unease burrowing down her spine. They glared at her over their shoulders, eyes shimmering with hate and fear. She had been a blind fool, it seems. Terrifically blind. In all this time- years- how had she never noticed those looks before?
"They're scared of me." Jo mumbled, turning her eyes to the old man. Those old, wrinkled eyes gazed back, turning darker and darker as the embers faded to black. Sadness lurked in the wrinkles of his cheeks, shame twisting his lips into a deep frown, and fear, his own brew of failure to fulfill that crackpot plan for the rebuilding of friendship, tugged and tugged at the tear in the corner of his eye.
"They fear the unknown." He placed a hand upon Fluffy's right snout, a bittersweet smile offered to the creature who had been so scared in the many faces of condemnation. He was a magnificent beast, so full of love and spirit, playfully curious and clumsy as he plodded his way through this interesting world- and they scorned him, this beautiful creature so carefully crafted in the hands of The Mother. How pitiful, the fear they fed upon to turn their hearts toward such hatred. "It's a sickness of our own making, Daljeet knows this. We hid from the world, discarded 'outside' knowledge, and everything not within these walls became monsters in the dark. We created our own fear, and it is not your fault, Josephine. Everything we have come to fear is nothing but phantoms of our own design."
The witch sighed, fingers tap-tap-tapping against the scarred earth as she took his words and placed them in a box to never be forgotten. Fluffy's middle head nudged her shoulder, the cerberus curling himself around her as he flopped to the ground. "You're not a monster," she whispered, fingers digging themselves into strands of fur nearly as long as her own hair. "You're such a good boy."
Another sigh left her as she decided it was time to stand back up. There was a boy hiding in the shadows she needed to scold, and-
Daljeet offered a hand up, those wrinkled old hands connected to a frail knobby arm pulled her up with ease, and he smiled up at her, the same bittersweet smile he had shared with Fluffy. "You are leaving."
She opened her mouth, excuses dancing on the tip of her tongue, but stopped short. His eyes shone with understanding, lips thinning in a kind smile as he nodded only once. Jo snorted, nodding in return as she tightened the grip on his hand. It was warm and smooth, skin paper thin and blemished with the discoloration of age.
"I will always consider you a dear friend," she said instead, eyes crinkling with a tiny smile.
"And I you, Miss Josephine."
Sirius stood loyally by Harry's side, even as his ears pressed flatter and flatter against his head. Delacroix was waving her wands widely, blindly sending things through the air and into suitcases and trunks with little care as to what went where. She and Harry were having a very loud 'discussion' about the boy's refusal to leave the celebration.
"When I tell you to do something, you damn well should do it, Harry." Her eyes were hard as rock, a deep frown set as she scolded the boy. Harry stared back, defiant in every way as his shoulders set and his brow furrowed into a glare. "You might have bloody well killed a basilisk, but-"
"I'm not going to run away when you might be in trouble!" Harry cut her off, arms thrown out and flailing wildly with his anger. "He was trying to kill you-"
"He wasn't going to kill me," Jo scoffed in return, wand disappearing into its holster as she pointed aggressively between Harry and the floor. "You should have gone right home, regardless! I told you to leave, it wasn't safe for you there-"
"Me? It wasn't safe for you! Badhra told me about that man. He hates you, Jo. He was trying to make an example out of you-"
"WHAT COULD YOU HAVE DONE!" Everything floating through the air crashed to the ground, Delacroix's scream still ringing over the cacophony of pots and pans rolling across the floor. Harry and Sirius flinched back, shocked. The witch hadn't shouted once, yet. Her face crumpled in remorse, hand reaching forward to rest gently on Harry's head. Harry stared up at her, eyes still wide as hurt flashed in the depths of those bright green irises.
"What could you have done?" She asked again, barely louder than a whisper. "You're so brave, kid. You're so brave and caring and loyal, but…you aren't supposed to save me. That's not how this goes. If I'm not strong enough, that means you need to run." Harry opened his mouth, the furrow in his brow and sharpness of his eyes already promising more arguments. Jo only shushed him, fingers threading through his hair as her lips quirked in a tiny smile that was so bitter, it had Sirius licking his lips to rid himself of the taste. "Not yet. You can't help me fight, yet."
"But one day," and she stopped, a sigh and chuckle carried in the same breath before she leveled the boy with a determined frown. Sirius could see the fear, though, in the tenseness of her jaw and the softening of her brow. "You'll stand right next to me. Until then, you've gotta stay behind, okay? You gotta let me protect you."
"I can protect you, Jo. I can help you, now." Harry pressed, but his voice croaked and Jo only smiled in response. "Please."
"One day, kid." She leaned forward, pressing her forehead against his own, and from his position, Sirius could see her eyes squeeze shut. "You're still my kid. Stay my kid for as long as possible. Let me do what I have to until then."
The man playing dog felt decidedly out of place. An outsider. Clearly, Delacroix and Harry had a bond he hadn't understood the depth of until now. She loved the boy, and he loved her back. It was a deep love, the love of a family- the type of love Sirius had chased after so fervently during his own childhood. He watched the pair, stomach twisting unpleasantly at the realization. Even after all this time, after all that had happened, Delacroix still found herself someone to push all of that love onto. And Harry, his little Harry, had gone and found a family that treated him right, that protected him and raised him with love. A family Sirius was positive James and Lily would be happy to have their son part of.
'I should tell her,' Sirius decided, rash or not- life threatening or not- Delacroix would keep Harry safe. She would go to the end of world to keep their boy safe, he was sure of it. Because that's what a mother does, and Delacroix, blood or not, loved Harry like a mother. 'She can help me.'
Delacroix stepped back, shoulders drooping as Harry continued to stare up at her, unrepentant in his defiance. "Harry-"
"Is that why you haven't told me, then? Because I'm still a kid?" Harry stepped away from her, scowling fiercely when Jo froze. Confusion flickered across her face, eyebrows rising high as her mouth opened to ask just what hell he was on about. The boy's anger only climbed at the expression.
"About Sirius Black- you know, the man that got my parents murdered!"
Jo closed her mouth, teeth snapping together with an audible clack. She could feel her face hardening under his accusatory glare. Are you fucking kidding me, she cursed inside her own head, the word fuck growing louder and louder in the seconds that followed. Harry continued to glare, harsh breaths exploding from his nose as he worked himself into a right state with his own thoughts.
"Who told you?" She finally settled on, arms crossing as she steadied herself in the face of his rage. "Harry? Who told you that?"
"Neville. We saw the muggle news program- they had a picture of him and everything. Neville told me he was the worst of them- the Death Eaters- said he's the one that sold out my parents. Said he murdered a whole mess of muggles when the aurors tried to catch him." His words came out rushed, voice climbing higher and higher as Jo just stood there, watching him without a single expression on her face. "AND YOU STILL HAVEN'T SAID ANYTHING ABOUT HIM! HE'S BEEN OUT THERE FOR NEARLY TWO MONTHS, AND YOU DIDN'T SAY A WORD!"
The silence after his outburst felt louder than either of their shouting. It pushed on her shoulders and neck, feeding the guilt he had placed inside her with just a name. Sirius Black.
Sirius Fucking Black.
"You're damn right I didn't say anything."
Harry reared back as if her words had physically struck him, but Jo didn't back down. Her voice rasped, but the words came out strong as she stepped forward. "He's a fucking murderer, Harry, He's a merlin-be-damned psychopath, and you think I was going to tell you he was out and about, strolling through London? We just faced a bloody basilisk and Voldemort's fucking demonic ghost! You were barely sleeping, as is."
"He got my parents murdered. I had a right to know." Harry fired right on back. His hands curled into fists, chest puffing out as he met her toe-to-toe in the center of the room.
Neither of them noticed as Shadowfoot slid to the floor, the dog shuffling backwards with a whine.
Jo exhaled sharply through her nose and straightened to frown down on Harry from her full height. "And what would you have done?"
Harry balked, voice ringing out loudly to fight against her firm quiet. "I deserved to know-"
"That's not what I asked."
He glared up at her, jaw working as he chewed over the many words filling his mouth with fire. When he refused to answer, glare dimming into a bitter glower, Jo only nodded.
"Are we done screaming?" She had to fight her own anger, words filtered through grit teeth to contain the urge to scream and curse alongside the kid. Harry scowled but nodded, stepping back and crossing his arms. Jo sucked in a deep breath, willing her heart to slow from its frantic beating.
"I wasn't keeping it from you, first of all. Shut it- I'm going to finish what I'm saying, then you can yell and scream all you want, got it?" He offered her another curt nod, jaw clenching harshly as he swallowed back his words. "Second, the aurors have informed the muggle public about Black- obviously, as you saw- so I was banking on him being found and back in prison by the time we returned from India. I didn't want to tell you until he was off the streets…I didn't want to give you…I didn't want you to have something else to be afraid of."
His shoulders slumped at that, green eyes softening of the raging anger. She knew him, though. She knew how to find the stubborn flint hiding behind the guilt of his screaming. Merlin, she was so exhausted. Why tonight of all nights did they have to do this? She just had her ass handed to her physically, now she had to fight an emotional battle, too?
"I…." Jo could only groan, falling into a chair and scrubbing at her forehead. She was so bloody tired. "And maybe I'm just selfish. I didn't want to talk about him. I thought if I didn't talk about it…if I just waited for him to be found, then I wouldn't have to tell you-"
What? What exactly did she not want to tell the kid? How Sirius Black, at one point, had been her closest friend? How Sirius Black was the only thing that had gotten her through that final year of the war? How Sirius Black- the Sirius Black she thought she knew- could have never betrayed the only man he considered family?
"I didn't want to tell you about how the man who betrayed your parents had been your dad's best friend. Or how badly his betrayal had hurt those of us still…" She finally looked at him, and she really wished she hadn't. Tears stung her eyes, throat tightening as it clogged at the sight of her boy's crumpled face. "I thought I knew him," she whispered, averting her eyes to the ceiling as a burning tear fled the corner of her eye. "And I was wrong."
"Jo…" Harry shuffled, all of that anger leaving him, and now, he didn't know quite what to do. He felt hollow, totally and completely empty. All of his thoughts and emotions drained away as the boy finally saw the state he had put Jo in. "Who was he? To me?"
The witch only chuckled, a dark rasping thing that held not a trace of humor- only the promise of more hard truths from a messenger who wished he had never asked for it. He shivered at the sound of it, arms crossing even tighter at the pain in her eyes. She shook her head, those war broken eyes closing as her head leaned back to face the ceiling once more. "Do you really want to know?"
Her answer would hurt. It would hurt him in ways he wouldn't understand. She hoped he would say no, but she knew better. He had an insatiable need to know things that were too painful to talk about. She couldn't blame him, though. It wasn't his fault that so much of his history, his story, was so drenched in dark and painful memories. She imagined she would want to know it all, too, if she were in his shoes.
"Sirius Black was your dad's best friend. He was your godfather." Jo whispered the words, but even that was too loud. The ugly truth was always too loud. "And he betrayed…everyone."
Me, he betrayed me. The selfish thought made her bitter. It made her sad. Overall, it just made her angry over things she had no way of changing. Wasn't that just the tune her life felt so inclined to sing?
"What now?" Harry found his voice again, the drawn out silence making his skin itch as the witch continued to frown at the ceiling. "Did he escape because of…"
He didn't have to finish the question. And after these past two years, it was a valid question. Was Sirius Black, the first ever escaped prisoner of Azkaban and number one Death Eater, after Harry?
"I don't know," she responded weakly, stomach sinking at the very real chance of it. "Andromeda said the Ministry has placed security around Hogwarts. Just in case."
Slowly, the witch pushed herself back up to stare at Harry. He looked exhausted, swaying on his feet as he merely gazed back at her. The emptiness of his eyes scared her, the quiet acceptance of yet another enemy hidden in the shadows. That just wasn't acceptable.
Not for her boy.
She couldn't afford to just sit here and lose herself in the tarry layers of yesterday. Clarity found her, exploding through her brain to chase away the shadowy demons of days passed. Harry needed her to chase away his own, past and present.
"He's not going to get you, Harry. Whether that's his goal or not, it's not going to happen." He jerked at the harsh words, nodding automatically. "No, Harry- look at me- he is not going to get you. I-" she stopped, reaching out for his hand. He met her halfway, melting under the rough callouses and warmth of her own. "Your first year, I didn't pay enough attention. Last year, I wasn't…I wasn't strong enough to protect you."
Harry sucked in a breath at that. The enormity of the admission wasn't missed by the boy, his green eyes searching her own intently. He almost couldn't comprehend it. When he thought of Jo, the words 'not strong' would have never entered his mind. Jo was the very definition of strong, to him. For her to say she wasn't? It was inconceivable.
"But I am, now. I will protect you, kid. I will protect you from Voldemort and giant snakes and, without a doubt, Sirius fucking Black. No matter what, I'll keep you safe." Even if it kills me, as long as you're safe.
And to Josephine Delacroix, at the very end of her life, that was the only thing that mattered. As long as Harry was safe.
Unfortunately, Harry had similar thoughts about the witch. He had almost lost her, more than once, and he had no plans on ever letting that happen again. The boy would rather the woman find someone- literally anyone else- to keep him safe. Because if he lost her, he was sure he'd lose everything.
Yet, under her determined eyes, the quiet reserve that had taken residence in the depths of those tired eyes since the end of his first year; Harry found his shoulders lightening as all of his hopes and fears fell into Jo's reliable hands, once more. Jo always came through, no matter what. Jo was always there for him, even when she shouldn't have to be. And he knew she would be again and again and again and again, damn the consequences and damn the threat on her own well-being. Because Josephine Delacroix loved him more than anyone else alive in this world.
Harry had gone to bed. Delacroix sat on his bed as she threaded her fingers through his bangs to lull him into finally sleeping. Sirius watched the display, curled pitifully at the foot of a bed he really shouldn't be on. Guilt gnawed at him, ripping and tearing as it tried to force its way out- to confess and beg the pair for forgiveness. He didn't deserve to be so close to the boy, not when he believed Sirius to be Voldemort's right hand man.
When Delacroix finally got up, the black dog followed, trailing after the witch with his head low and tail curled even lower.
It was now or never.
He would tell her. He would fall to his knees and plead, beg if he had to, for her to hear him out. She just had to hear Pettigrew's name, had to hear where the rat was hiding, and that would have to be enough.
It will have to be enough. Though, he'd rather not have Pettigrew's name be said on his final breath.
Delacroix grunted to herself, feet heavy as they stumbled across the floor to pick up a forgotten pot. Blue eyes cast a weary glance over the many fallen bits and bobs from her explosive moment. Sirius watched from the safety of the dark hallway as the witch squatted down to retrieve a shirt and shoe. She didn't rise back up, hands slowly coming to rest against her thighs as she simply stared at the mess around her.
"Damn." Her voice rasped terribly, the slump in her shoulders dipping even lower with exhaustion, he was sure. "Damn," she whispered, dropping the shoe to rub furiously at her eye. The other hand joined in the harsh eye rubbing as they tried to wipe away the tears before they could fall.
Sirius jumped when Delacroix suddenly shot up, the pot being thrown to clatter and clang across the floor.
"Dammit all! Fucking-" She stopped wiping at the tears, stopped trying to hide behind whispered curses and busying her hands. Her eyes flashed wildly, hair falling in a disarray as the witch swung her head around in search of something-anything- to take the brunt of the storm crashing beneath her skin. "Fuck-Fuck-Fuck-Fuck-FUCK!"
The dog-man could only watch as the witch raged and swore. She kicked the pots, reached down to toss the books and towels; she even tore a box of tea in half. A bone chilling snarl ripped from her throat in the throws of it all. The snarl bled into a rolling scream, all teeth and straining veins, the witch's arms thrown wide as she screamed and screamed to the sky hiding so conveniently behind the ceiling. Sirius shivered as magic rumbled beneath his feet. It licked at his paws, stabbing him like needles as it, too, screamed of its master's anger and pain.
And just like before, so eerily similar to the calm that had fallen over the spar, everything went terribly quiet. Delacroix slumped, finally empty of all that rage, her knees meeting the stone floor without even a grunt of acknowledgment to the pain. She looked so…tiny, so vulnerable. Empty. Not the Delacroix he knew she should be. It looked too much like the Delacroix he hoped to never see again. Sirius whined at the sight of her trembling lip. That quivering chin, tears dripping off its peak to puddle along the floor, jerked in response.
"Hey there, pup." There she was, again. All quiet rasps and tiny smiles- too worried about a dog to even care that she was still crying and sad. Eyes that should be sapphires, so sharp and bright you'd worry they'd cut you, had dulled into shallow pools stuck along a sandbar. "Sorry for…" She forced out a chuckle, waving a lazy hand toward the chaos around her. "I've had a long day," she whispered, a sigh dancing at the end.
"I've had a long life."
He didn't think about it- thinking wasn't the first nature of a dog- the instinct moving his feet forward. She watched him, those blue eyes so very tired that by the time she finished blinking Shadowfoot was right next to her. His nose worked furiously, grey eyes flashing with that ever present wariness before he slowly sat beside her. She didn't dare try to pat him, no matter how badly she just wanted to bury her face in the fur of his neck and take comfort from the poor mutt. Instead, she busied her hands with plucking bits of a destroyed tea box from the floor.
"It's bloody hard, you know- being responsible for someone else. Especially, when it seems that, no matter how hard you try, your tiny little kid is somehow always facing off against evil wizards and giant fucking snakes and…" Being so close, he could see her throat bob- hear as she swallowed around a terrible clog that had taken residence there. He could see the way her eyes cooled, hardening against the hurt and bitter regret swimming in those sandbar pools like minnows. "I'm so bloody tired of fighting all these monsters in the shadows. He's only thirteen. I didn't think I'd be doing this again, not after- not against him."
And he knew she meant him. It was the flash of betrayal in her eyes, the wobble of hurt on her tongue, the furrowing of her brow that asked 'why, Sirius? Why did you do it?'. His stomach sank, ears flattening as the guilt already so heavy in his bones consumed him entirely.
"It wasn't supposed to be like this. It was supposed to be getting detention or breaking the neighbor's window on accident or-or girls or…" She sucked in a terribly shaking breath. "Not this." With a shake of her head, she busied her hands with picking up more of the things she had kicked and thrown. "He was supposed to be happy…free. To live like a normal kid. Now…now…." She trailed off, eyes growing distant as her fingers faltered over bits of torn papers.
"Sometimes…sometimes I think it would've been better if we had ran away. Packed it all up and disappeared. Leave all these problems for everyone else to deal with." Delacroix- stubborn and hard as stone Delacroix- tried to force another dry chuckle, but her breath hitched. Her smirk wavered, crumbling in on itself as tears pooled along the already horribly red membranes of her eyelids. "I'm just so…tired."
Don't cry. But dogs don't talk, they only whine and groan and bark, so that's what he did. He groaned quietly, placing a paw on her leg. His claws dug into the fabric, hitching him to her, so she would know she wasn't alone. He knew what it was to be alone. Please, don't cry, he whined again, pawing at her leg once more. She sniffled, eyeing his paw fondly, the crumple of her eyebrows relaxing into a familiar expression of warmth.
"You're a good pup. Though, you're shit at nannying, y'know." Delacroix peered at him from the corner of her eyes, a tiny smile blooming at the much too human expression of offense on the mutt's face. He sniffed at her, groaning in clear argument against her. She couldn't help but reach up and ruffle his ears affectionately. "Don't worry so much, everything will be fine. Especially our boy. I'll keep him safe, no matter what."
Jo locked eyes with the mutt, blue piercing grey as the dog gazed at her with those too smart eyes. It was silly of her, but she felt like she had to promise him. He was so attached to Harry, the boy being the only person the dog showed affection and loyalty in spades. So, with a sharp nod, she laid a vow at his paws.
"And if Sirius Fucking Black ever shows his face, I'll kill him."
Shadowfoot only stared at her, grey eyes blinking slowly as she pushed herself back to her feet. She ran a hand over his head once more, whispering for him to get back to bed, before disappearing into the shadows of her own bedroom.
Sirius didn't follow.
His skin still prickled, the very real promise of his murder rooting him to the spot.
I'll kill the rat. I'll kill the rat and clear my name.
The plan hadn't changed. Not now. He could do this on his own. Keep it simple: find the rat, kill the rat, and do what he should have done on that terrible day- give Harry all of his attention. Involving Delacroix would only lead to, well, his very early departure from the realm of the living- that was much too certain. It was completely out of the question.
Because, honestly, after everything they had been through, how dare Delacroix sit here and threaten him. How dare she talk as if he was just another monster in the shadows. How dare she think so little of him!
He would clear his name. He'd find that Merlin-be-damned rat and throw him right at Delacroix's feet. He'd show her, he'd prove his innocence, and he'd do it all on his own. Delacroix was tired? Delacroix thought him so terrible?
Fine. Then he'll be the one to catch the monster in the shadows. He'll do it without her and laugh in her face. She wasn't the only one who cared about Harry, and he'd show her. He'll show just how very wrong she was.
I'll show everyone. Every single one of them.
And once his name was cleared, he and Harry could be a family. He could finally be 'Uncle Padfoot'. They could go to the beach. They could go to the cinema, like he and James had that one time. They could take a road trip on his motorbike. He could show him all the places he and James had gone dancing. He could teach Harry about girls and motorbikes and quidditch and James' favorite spells and all about the secrets they'd discovered in Hogwarts. Merlin, he'd have to tell him about the map. And the kitchens. And that funny room lined wall to ceiling with dungbombs that he'd found one time.
And…
And He would protect Harry. He would keep the boy safe from monsters in the dark. He had time to make up and penance to carry out. Twelve years worth.