Chapter Thirty Five
(Posy Parkinson vs the entire staff of The Offices and one rumbling stomach: Round 1)
She knew she went too far when Susie got knocked over and rolled right through a wall.
Connor put her in a pair of handcuffs while Harry, Susie, and Bobbi freaked out at Nev and Pansy's disappearance. She heard Bobbi use the term 'terrorist' and Posy hadn't a clue what that was supposed to mean, but Susie seemed more worried about their state of health. They all asked her where Nev took Pansy, but Posy honestly didn't know. For some reason no one believed her.
She figured Connor would essentially put her in time out, somewhere like Susan's office, until they finally figured out whatever it was they were concerned about. Honestly, it seemed they didn't trust Nev's judgment when it came to Pansy. Didn't they know any better?
Instead, the man who was supposedly Neville's friend marched her straight to The Offices and down past the bottom floor and into a hallway she hadn't known existed. Down another flight of stairs and suddenly…
Oh.
Right.
Jail.
"Great, I've been arrested, ew," Posy scrunched her face up at the smell, her wolf becoming agitated the longer Connor kept them cuffed, as he took her past occupied cells and into the one at the very end. Apparently, a special cell. Made just for wolves.
She could smell the silver.
"No no no, Mr. O'Donnell, I'm sorry, please don't put me in there!" she cried out, purposely making herself sound childish as she dug her feet into the floor.
"Jeez, Pos, I feel bad enough already, but you busted through a wall at Mungo's and knocked Susan clear off her feet in front of a lot of people. I have to do this, just for a little bit."
"Because I'm a wolf and wolves can't be human, right?" she spat out, channeling that same bad temper that got her in this situation to begin with. She threw her weight behind them, but her wolf was so, so tired from the night before and Connor had no problem resisting her attempts to escape. She shouted, "I could be a lot worse!"
He gently guided her into the cell and sat her down on the bench, using all his puny strength to do so. She decided to tell him so. "Neville is way way stronger than you are, Mr. O'Donnell."
"Trust me, I know," he said, finally taking the cuffs off her wrists. Her arms hurt from being pinned behind her back. "Please, just relax for a little bit, I promise I won't leave you down here."
Then he left, walking down the barely lit hallway without a glance back.
And she didn't believe his promise in the least.
The bars of her cell seemed to be coated with a fine dusting of silver, small enough that no matter how hard she wiped at it with her shirt Posy could not get all of it off her hands. Which meant she couldn't try to bend the bars wide enough to slip through and make a run for it.
Touching it with her bare hands made her skin turn itchy and burn bad enough she couldn't force herself to power through. Damn silver. Damn jail cell. She'd rather keep the skin on her hands thank you very much.
Not that she had strength enough to do either of those things. The night after the Full Moon was when she felt her weakest, completely drained, and downright grumpy. Not to mention she hadn't gotten her post-Moon breakfast from Neville.
He always made a huge stack of pancakes, piled high with butter, maple syrup, a dramatic amount of fruit and double sides of bacon and sausages. And every time he called it a 'snack' and gave her a sly wink. Idiot.
But Posy loved it whenever he made that joke, because the only reason he made that much food was for her.
Not that morning though.
Nope, between the screaming and ugly crying—oh she thought she was done with the ugly crying but life kept proving differently—she had a vague memory of half a granola bar that tasted too healthy to be satisfying.
Her wolf, subdued and wary from the day's events so far yearned for something meaty and fatty promptly followed by some kind of chocolate covered dessert. It was easier to dream about a huge, hearty meal—mmm like beef stew!—than think Neville might not come back for her. I might not make it.
That's what he said.
He always managed so far to make her believe he would always, always have her back. Rationally, she knew he wasn't invincible or anything. He bled and bruised just like anyone else. But, she knew first hand even the people she loved most in the world could leave it at any given time. Much easier to think about a gravy covered pork chop or plate full of carbonara than to imagine exactly what kind of trial he had to endure to give Pansy her best chance.
And bread.
Oh. Oh! Lamb chops! With mint jelly! And mashed potatoes and—
"Well, if it isn't the little Parkinson?" a voice called from the cell across from hers. Belatedly, she realized she hadn't taken a moment to observe her surroundings, and Neville would be upset with her. She had such a hard time remembering that one! Darn it!
Focusing her wolf vision in the mostly dark space, she peered across the way and found a familiar, not-so-friendly face.
"Don't speak to me," she told the man who willingly worked for her mother last year. His sole purpose had been to infiltrate the Auror Department and report back to Pearl so she could easily move her product.
Lester Hastings leaned forward, trying to get a better look at her. But she had no problem making out the sunken bags under his dull eyes and the bristly, unkempt blonde beard growing out of his face and neck.
"Why not, we're both stuck down here."
"Because I don't associate with criminals," she snapped. But that was a big lie. Her sister was the Big C. Criminal numero uno. She stabbed the Minister of Magic! Ugh. Pansy. Get your life together.
Down the hallway there came a chorus of chuckles and heckling as other inmates decided to pipe up.
"She told you Hastings."
"Little wolf got a mouth on her."
Ugh. Posy squirmed uncomfortably. This day could not get any worse, could it?
"That's funny, considering your family is full of them," Lester continued. He probably didn't know about Pearl and was even less likely to know Pansy might be joining her. Could she use that against him? Did it matter?
Jeez, she was doomed.
"I choose my own family," she decided on and tried the bars again, hissing at the burn.
"Posy! What do you think you're doing?" Ron stomped into King's Pin, looking tired, worn out, and cranky. "How does a 10 year old girl get arrested?!"
"Shhh!" Ron was the only one who knew her birthday had been back in April and she didn't want anyone else to know. Especially not anyone bad enough to be locked up underneath the Auror Offices. "And, apparently, a crabby werewolf the night after the Moon throwing a temper tantrum is plenty enough reason to arrest a 10 year old."
"Stop, stop," he came right up to the bars and handed her several steaming hot towels. "Your hands, baby girl. Stop touching the bars, the paint is mixed with silver particles."
Great, it was in the freakin' paint. What a waste of time.
"I have to get out of here, Ron, help me. Please?"
"I told you to stay out of trouble," he scolded her. Oh yeah, like he was one to talk.
She hated being locked up. It only reminded her of Pearl going crazy and throwing her into a tiny little cell and leaving her there for days at a time. Sometimes without food. Most times without touch or any kind of contact. That was the worst.
"You know who you were talking to when you said that, Weasley?" Lester commented.
But Ron didn't even acknowledge him, just stared at her, willing her to use the towels.
"If you aren't here to get me out of this cage then why come at all?" she snapped meanly at him, crossing her arms, and giving him a big pout.
"Take the towels," he pushed another wet cloth through the bar. And then he didn't even bother giving her an answer. Just turned around and left. What a jerk!
"Hey come back... Ron!"
Wow. Betrayed. Again.
"Oof, hope you didn't pick him for your fake family. Terrible choice."
"Shut up!" she shouted at Lester, frustrated. Her family wasn't fake.
Part of her could not believe she got arrested by Connor while trying to distract everyone so Neville could make his get-away. But another part felt a bit smug too. Her tantrum was so extreme she got arrested.
Pansy would be proud.
And disgusted.
If she were even… alive…
"Meatloaf… grilled chicken… beef wellington the size of a horse…" Why didn't Ron bring her a cheeseburger at the very least instead of these useless towels?!
Her stomach gave a loud, unattractive grumble and an Auror in full robes walked up to her cell. One she didn't recognize.
"Uhmm… Miss… I've been instructed to make sure you use your towels and stop touching the bars…" he swallowed and gave a shy smile before taking guard stance by the door, looking around nervously.
Really. A newbie? Didn't Ron know any better?
Without blinking, Posy stared the unknown man dead in the eye and silently refused to touch the towels.
"What's your name?" she asked coolly.
The man with his dark hair slicked back and sharp features blinked rapidly at her question. Clearly, he was confused as to why this little girl had been imprisoned. But if he didn't realize this was King's Pin, then she could have a little fun. "Auror Bertund, miss."
"Do you know who my guardian is Auror Bertund?" she continued, doing her best to maintain eye contact, but dang it she really wanted to blink.
"No, miss. Just doing as Mr. Weasley told me to."
"Well let me inform you properly," she stomped her foot. "My guardian is Neville Longbottom."
Auror Bertund faltered hard, letting his posture slip at his obvious alarm. "O-o-oh?"
"That's right. I mean, technically he's my guardian but we're really close. He's practically like my dad. He would do anything for me."
"I-I-I-"
"Have you ever heard of Neville Longbottom before, Auror Bertund? Did you know he once stopped an active Mana Bomb with nothing but his bare fists? Yep. Turned it right into dust with nothing so much as a clap of his hands."
"Wha-wha-"
"What do you, and I'm just curious really, what do you think would happen if he showed up right now and saw you over there while I'm stuck in here?"
Shaking her head slowly, she held up her red, itchy, and swollen hands. "And injured too?"
"Posy, stop that."
Ugh!
Susan walked in just in time to stop Auror Bertund from giving her exactly what she wanted! The damn key to this cell. Instead the Newbie ran for the hills. "Susie! You ruined my plan!"
"Your plan to get the new guy in trouble?" she chided. "Towels, now."
Susie said it in such a way she expected her order to be followed. And usually, Posy would have no problem doing as she said because both her and her wolf respected and admired Susan. Except the healer had stood by and let Connor arrest Posy without saying anything.
When she didn't immediately go for the towels, Susan started glaring. She pushed a small compact through the bars which landed at Posy's feet with a small splat. "Something I've been working on, it has properties that repel silver. Put it on your hands and it should force all the silver to the top layer of the cream instead of sticking it to the skin. Use the towels first, to get as much silver off as possible."
Drats, she wanted to keep being stubborn but Susan was only trying to help. "Fine," she bent down and grabbed the now lukewarm towel, quickly wiping it around her fingers. The relief was instant but nothing compared to the magic of the cream Susan had given her. As soon as she rubbed it into her red skin, the texture similar to lotion, Posy could actually see the small specs of silver dust rising to the top of the moist cream until it formed a silver sheened skin.
She wiped that away with the towel too.
"Can't you get me out of here, Susie?" she asked softly. She really, really hated cages.
"No, not me," she responded just as quietly. "I've sent Draco after Bobbi, though it might help if you tell them where Neville went."
Posy flopped onto the ground with a huge "Ugh!" She hadn't the faintest clue where Neville had gone and she had explained that only about a million times to both Connor, Harry, and Bobbi! "Susie, I swear I haven't got a CLUE where he took Pansy, only that he had a plan and needed a distraction."
"Well you definitely provided a distraction," Susie crossed her arms over her yellow Healer's robes and seemed to be thinking. She had that far away look in her eyes. "What was he thinking?"
"I don't know," Posy said honestly. "He only said there was a chance and that… well... He might not… make it back…"
While Posy imagined the biggest breakfast spread she could think of to distract herself, Susan had to pull over a stool to sit down, the information Posy provided too much to handle. Clearly, there was a lot on Susie's mind. Posy hated to see her looking so tired and worried all at once but there was nothing else she could do about it.
After a quiet minute Susie took a staggering breath. "Could I ask you a personal question, Posy?"
Oh boy. "Sure, go ahead," Posy gulped, preparing herself for anything. Why was thinking so hard on an empty stomach? "But just so you know, we're not exactly alone down here."
Susan turned to look behind her, realized there were more cells hiding in the dark. "Perhaps later then."
"Get me out of here and we can talk all you want!"
"Give me anything, even a guess, at where Neville went, and I'll see what I can do, little wolf," Susan offered, standing up again.
Aaarrruruuggghhhhhhhh! Posy stomped. "Did anyone check at home? It's not like we go anywhere!"
"Stay put, I'll be back," Susie walked away after that.
"Can I at least get a sandwich or something?" Posy shouted at the retreating shadow. "A wolf's gotta eat too!"
A slow chuckle filled the air from across the hall. "Not the family I would choose."
"Nev is my family, you remember him don't you?" Posy sneered, trying not to let on that Nev might not be coming for her at all. Maybe she should have changed her name to Longbottom instead of Lovell. Then maybe they would remember who exactly her guardian was and stop messing with her.
"Sure, sure. Sounds like he's in a spot of his own trouble, though. How will he rescue you this time?"
She ignored him and a sandwich did show up eventually. It seemed like days had passed but really it was only an hour, according to her watch. And thankfully not tuna. But roast beef with some kind of spicy mustard and a small bag of crisps. The Pat who brought it didn't say anything, just pushed the small bag through the bars and turned around, clearly having somewhere else to be.
But the longer she sat in the cell, the more nervous she became. Usually she could come and go as she pleased at The Offices, because Nev was her guardian and no one wanted to mess with him. But now that she was behind bars, she couldn't help but realize how outnumbered she was.
One wolf to their many.
And they were all reeling from the current state of affairs.
If she'd been human, Connor wouldn't have been able to arrest her.
It was so, so unfair! And now that she'd eaten, it was harder to distract herself from the bad thoughts. Like what if she never saw Nev again? What if he didn't make it and she lost both him and Pansy? Maybe she should have told him to stay. Why didn't she ask more questions about what he was up to?
"You seem nervous, little wolf."
Her nickname from someone who wasn't a friend made her wolf snarl, despite being exhausted. But she decided ignoring him was the best play. He was the one stuck in here, Draco and Susie would have her out soon. Right?
Just be patient, she told herself.
"Quite agitated even," he continued. Didn't he know better than to poke a wolf? "Why is that, I thought you would be used to being locked up."
Lip quivering in anger, she turned on her toe to yell at him.
"So did you ever find out who your real father is?" Lester Hastings asked casually before she could tell him to eat dirt.
Sucking in a sharp breath, Posy rushed right up to the bars, despite the burn of silver. "What do you know?"
Another low chuckle. "I know."
"Tell me," she couldn't believe it. Months of searching, Draco used all his connections and threw loads of gold at the problem which yielded exactly a pile of nothing.
"Hmm," he yawned. "You told me to shut up earlier. And I'm not sure what's in it for me."
"Are you kidding? How about doing the right thing for once? Helping a young girl out who is just trying to find her real father?" she pleaded.
"Sounds tough," he shrugged and then laid down on his cot, turning his back to her. "Good luck with your search."
That's it. Her wolf had had enough. A snarl escaped her lips before she could stop it, one that sounded far more wolf-like than human. But then—Posy's head bolted up. Draco stood at the end of the hallway, holding a flashlight, but his head was turned to the side, looking down the entrance instead of at her. Beside him, Susie stood with a hand over her mouth. And whatever was happening down the hall sure was making a lot of sound.
She heard several different people shout out and Bobbi ran by the doorway shouting, "Arrest her. Arrest them both!"
Then Posy heard the best thing in the world! Neville! "You lay a finger on her Humphries and I swear to god I will tear your fucking hand off."
"Neville!" Posy shouted, forgetting all about the paint laced with silver as she desperately pulled on the bars of her cell. "Nev! I'm in here!"
Draco pulled Susie out of the way just in time for Bobbi to back peddle. And then… there he was. Neville.
Though he was glaring daggers at Bobbi he bypassed them all and came right down the hall to her. Giving a close up of his overgrown beard, much much longer than it had been an hour and a half ago, which had all sorts of gray and white hairs dotted between the dark. His hair also had a lot of gray in it, way more than she'd ever seen before. Though his face didn't seem to look any older.
"Back up," he ordered her in a gruff voice. Her wolf recognized family, even if he was angry, and breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Posy jumped all the way into the corner of her cell just in time before Neville wrapped his hands around the bars of her cell and yanked.
Hard.
The entire room groaned as Neville pulled the entire bar system from her corner cell and threw it to the side as if it weighed little to nothing. "Who put you in here?" he snapped out the question, sounding so, so pissed off.
"Uh… uhh…" she stumbled over her words as she caught sight of the source of commotion coming from down the hall.
A silver-haired woman wearing a hospital gown stood, holding Connor's arm in a tight lock against his back, crying out in agony. Oof. Poor Connor. With the other hand, she grabbed onto the nearest Pat and whatever she did dropped the man instantly.
"Parkinson!" Neville shouted frigidly. "Don't. Kill. Anyone!"
"Wha?" Posy asked dumbly, why would she kill anyone? She could never! But she looked at the gray in Neville's dark hair then to the silver hair on the unknown. Then she realized.
Hospital gown.
Pansy shot a look of pure hatred over her shoulder, right at Neville, before she pushed Connor away with enough force to send him through a wall. She marched over to Nev with a sneer a mile wide. "You better stop bossing me around, Longbottom unless you want my blade so far up your-"
"Pans?"
Posy couldn't believe her eyes.
Her sister.
Here!
Alive!
With… silver hair that looked like their father's?
Pansy's eyes darted up to her, surprise softening her face.
"Aww look," Lester mocked. "A family reunion. How cute."
Whatever softness Pansy felt disappeared immediately at the sound of Lester's voice, replaced instead with a frigid sneer that looked exactly like their mother's. A look that honestly scared the heck out of Posy. She turned, not at all slowed down by her loose hospital gown and marched up to Lester's bars.
She expected Neville to stop her, instead he lifted Posy up and onto his back like he had a million times. "Who locked you up?"
In this type of mood, she didn't want to tattle on Connor, even though she'd been plenty upset with the man herself. Because both Nev and her sister seemed downright hostile. She peered down the hallway, spotted a pile of moaning Pats and Aurors. Yep. Angry. Grrr.
"No one," she lied badly, looking down to Lester and Pansy. Who pulled the bars apart with her bare hands, causing Lester to shout out in fear. And Posy's mouth to drop in astonishment.
"I have been waiting for this moment since I hung you up like a Christmas Decoration, Les," Pansy snarled, her voice rough like she needed water.
"Posy!" Neville shouted, catching her attention.
"I-uh-came down here myself. For the view."
"Posy." Uh oh. He was not playing around.
"Help!" Lester shouted, backing clear up into the corner of his cell and finding there was nowhere for him to escape to. "Help me!"
"Oh, are you scared?" A final groan of metal pulling before Pansy slid into the small hole she'd made between the bars and had a firm hand on Lester's neck in the blink of an eye, the man choking as she pinned him to the wall behind. "Remember this. You?" she tightened her grip, causing the man to whimper in pain. "You, I would never kill."
Pansy's words gave Posy a chill straight down her spine.
"I would keep you alive for a long time," Pansy continued, sounding nothing like the big sister she knew.
"No, wait," Posy shook her head. "Don't hurt him—"
But before she could explain why, another group of Pats appeared at the door, most of them hesitant to come into the dark hallway. Neville shouted at Pansy. "Parkinson! Let's go!"
"And pass up this chance to catch up with my old pal, Les?" Pansy increased her hold on the man's throat, his breath coming out quicker and rougher for fear.
"Pansy! Please!" she shouted.
"Yeah," Les choked out desperately. "Wouldn't you rather-" he gasped- "Rather catch up with your sister?"
Apparently out of patience, Neville came forward and ripped out one of the already mangled bars from the cell before reaching into the cell and grabbing Pansy's upper arm. "Move your fucking ass, Parkinson. We don't have time for this!"
Releasing Les as she got pulled away, Pansy turned her hostility onto Nev instead. "Don't you dare put your hands on me. Despite what you think, I don't belong to you and I am not your weapon you can just take wherever you please!"
"I don't think you're a bloody weapon!"
"Yet you dragged me down here!"
"TO GET POSY!" he yelled in her face. "What is the matter with you? You're usually so much more clear headed than this—that trash isn't worth getting locked up again!"
He meant Les. But Pansy had already forgotten about him. She stepped up to Neville, ignoring Posy on his shoulder completely, and poked him right in the chest. "No one will ever lock me up again," she whispered in a deadly tone that gave Posy another shiver.
Neville reached forward, grabbed onto Pansy's gown, and yanked her forward until they were nose to nose. "No they won't. I won't let them. But we got what we came for."
A throat cleared and the three of them looked over to Bobbi who stood, arms crossed in front of the door. "Seriously guys?"
"Fuck," Neville glared.
But Pansy wouldn't be deterred. "You and I will be having a serious conversation later."
Then Pansy turned and marched towards Bobbi, Nev hot on her heels and Posy still on his back. She met eyes with Les as Nev ran in the opposite direction, and Posy realized she would have to find a way to get down into King's Pin another time.
To get the answers she needed about her dad.
The usual stern look Bobbi often had increased tenfold, but she stepped aside to let them pass. "What the hell did you do, Nev?"
oOo
Susan patched up Lester Hastings before the man got moved into a different cell, one he couldn't escape from. Then she handed an ice pack to Connor, resisting the urge to laugh. It wasn't funny. Honestly.
It wasn't.
Technically, Posy was in deep trouble. Was it right that her only crime was being a werewolf? No, no it wasn't. But then on the other hand, Pansy had only been allowed into St. Mungo's to receive care because she'd been brain dead and therefore not a danger to others. Now that she was awake… Not even Draco would be able to get her off the hook this time.
And Neville just had to go and join the dark side.
Susan shouldn't be laughing.
But she couldn't help the small seed of joy inside her. Because while Pansy might've been a criminal, the crimes that landed her in such trouble she only committed because of that Faery Collar. And criminal or not, the woman was awake. Draco had his friend back. Posy had her sister back. Nev had his… something back.
"It's sleep deprivation," she told Bobbi when the woman glared in her direction. Forcing her cousin into a hug, Susan squeezed tight. "I'm going back to the hospital, then I'm going to Mimi Fernard's to get some sleep and you should join me."
Bobbi peered across the hall, looking at Connor as he sat holding the ice pack to his bruised head. "Sure, right after I call the Minister of fu-"
"Ah-ah," Susan waved her finger back and forth.
"Minister of Magic," Bobbi barked out. "And let him know the woman who stabbed him isn't in fact going to die, is not brain dead, and isn't at St. Mungo's but on the loose again thanks to Neville. Why is he such an idiot when it comes to that wretched bi-"
"Bobs!"
"Witch!" she amended. "And honestly, did he really think I would just leave Posy down in King's Pin alone? Did he have to break his way in? How did he even do it? Save her? And where the hell did that Italian go?"
Ranting and raving, not normal behavior but they were all a bit on edge, Bobbi left Susan. "Humphries! You just stood there! Are you afraid of Auror Longbottom?"
"Uh, yeah?" the Auror nodded quickly before rushing away from Bobbi's rampage.
Draco appeared in the space beside her, taking her arm like the gentleman he was. Cool and relaxed though he was certainly neither, he escorted her back to St. Mungo's without a word and she quite enjoyed it. Because she knew soon enough, he would be demanding to know the reason for the giant bruise around her torso and she would be resisting the urge to kiss him.
Like always.
Upon reaching her office, stopping to speak to an employee on the way, Susan went to unlock the door and Draco's slender fingers gently stopped hers before she could. "I'd like for you to come home with me."
Get a grip, she warned herself. Because her heart shot into overdrive.
"I obviously have very little self esteem," she said calmly. He still loved his wife. "Because I would like that very much-but I need to be with my family tonight."
Impressed with her voice's ability to remain steady she ignored the flicker of emotion that came over his face and slotted the key into her office door.
Only to find it already unlocked.
"Huh," she put away her key as Draco stepped in front of her. Fearlessly opening the door and stepping into the room ahead of her. Behavior she had to adjust to the moment they started working together.
But he spotted whoever sat beyond the door and opened it further. "I will give you two a moment alone," Draco said in a much harder voice, the look he shot her sharper than the scalpel she kept in her pocket. "A moment."
Hal paced her office with a slight limp, his face still yellow with old bruises. But where on earth did he get that clothing from? Ripped up jeans, leather vest, and giant boots. "You should be resting," Susan chided.
"I'll rest when I'm dead," he brushed off her hand when she went to check his pulse. "But I believe you're the one that kept me from taking that particular nap, Miss Bones."
"Doctor," she corrected automatically.
"Doctor," his lips kicked up. But then he reached out.
Pulling on her arm, pushing up the sleeve, and revealing her clean bandage. He stared at it without blinking for several seconds before yanking it up to his nose, taking a long sniff. Susan's heart began racing again, her mouth suddenly going dry.
The urge to break the silence overwhelmed her. "You were human when you bit me, there's no telling what the outcome will be."
"All due respect, ma'am," Hal pulled down her sleeve with care, his touch far more delicate than expected. "Life is rarely so kind. I'll be back for you next Moon."
He left before she could even consider what to say or ask, her arm still extended and his words the only thing on her mind. The entire interaction went by so quickly, and yet she realized it wasn't one she would likely forget.
She told herself to get a grip. Again. It didn't work this time. Too much had happened and too much time passed since she got any real sleep. But suddenly the idea of going and facing her family seemed daunting at best.
"Fuck self esteem."
oOo
Pansy ran through back alleys and side streets, taking them towards her house but wondering if that was the safe choice. Longbottom had known about this location and if the newspaper she spotted outside a shop was to be believed, they were two days from August. Ten months since she came back to rescue Posy. Vistain had her under the influence of the collar for Ten. Fucking. Months.
Whipped up in all her distrust and anger, she wondered if Longbottom told anyone else about her London home. His damn meddling friends perhaps? She really wanted to grab Posy and ditch him, because the sight of all that salt in his beard made her remember what he'd done. Made her head pound with anger.
But Posy rode his back like she used to get piggy-back rides from Theo all those years ago. And he kept calling Posy Little Wolf in such an affectionate tone despite being plum pissed off and growling at her like she'd been the cause of all his problems.
What she really needed was her boots, her feet protesting at all the running she did without proper footwear. And her body ached something fierce, every breath causing her ribs to scream in pain. That rib wasn't broken, as she suspected, but missing entirely.
It should have bothered her more, her rib was missing, except her real problem, the longer she thought about it, was that she couldn't remember what the hell happened to her after that raid on the Ministry of Magic. She remembered stabbing the Minister. She remembered running into Longbottom and thinking he looked happy to see her. Then she remembered her collar breaking, the screeching sound it made in her ear, and then… nothing.
They rounded the corner to her hidden home and skidded to a complete stop.
"Shh, little wolf," Nev cautioned quietly behind her. "Try to be quiet for a few minutes."
Because he spotted what Pansy did.
A group of Muggle Policemen searching up and down the street.
"Someone must have seen me with you before," he leaned in to whisper in her ear. It made the skin on her neck prickle uncomfortably. That bastard used Sera's Mind Shards on her. The hair bounced off her shoulders in a thick rope of silver. How long had he spent holding her captive in his mind?
"Before? When you brought me here to violate me?" she snapped over her shoulder.
Posy sucked in a harsh breath but she could feel Longbottom's glare. "Yeah, sure, believe whatever the fuck you want, Parkinson."
"There's only one use for those stones-"
"That you know of," he argued then he looked up to Posy. "How long have we been gone, Po?"
Gulping, Pansy's sister looked rough, like she didn't sleep well the night before. Her long, blonde hair that matched their mother's unique shade fell over her shoulder in messy waves. But her bright indigo colored eyes looked sharp. "Only an hour and a half," she answered slowly. "But I think you were gone a lot longer, huh?"
Neville swore rubbing his temples. Pansy envisioned bashing his head in at that exact spot. "Someone must have seen me carrying Pansy in. Couldn't have looked good, me carrying an unconscious woman wearing a hospital gown. Fuck. We can't stay here."
"Why don't we go home?" Posy asked, clearly confused.
"Yeah where all of our Auror friends know we live?" Nev snapped back, though without any of his usual heat. "We have to get somewhere, lay low, and recoup then-"
"We?" Pansy interrupted, not entirely sure when they became a 'we' and getting supremely annoyed every time he lumped them into a group.
But it wasn't Neville that answered her. "We're a family, Pansy," Posy said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "We have to stick together now."
"Talk about it later," Neville glared at Pansy, keeping her from responding.
Except Neville Longbottom was not her fucking family. He used Seraphina's Mind Shards to play king and gallivant around her mind, doing only god knew what. For long enough that they both aged in various ways. Fuck whatever rapport they built before, and fuck whatever bond he managed to build with Posy in the months Vistain held her captive. She was taking her sister and getting the fuck out this wretched country for good.
"No," he snarled, his anger palpable. "You break her heart again and I'll break your fucking neck."
"Nev!" Posy shouted, unbelieving he would say such a thing, slapping his shoulders from her high position.
But Pansy's own anger had a life of its own. "You wanna run that by me again, Longbottom?"
"You think I don't recognize that look on your face?" he snapped through clenched teeth. "You're wanting to run again."
"Is that such a surprise?" They were nose to nose again and thoroughly pissed off. "Your people want my head for my taking magic out of play, the wolves want my head because I'm their executioner. Why shouldn't I take Posy and get the hell out of dodge?!"
His hand came out and grabbed at her gown, lifting her feet off the ground as he jerked her forward. "You try to take Posy away from me-"
"STOP!" Posy yelled, wrenching on his hair enough to grab his attention.
Too bad the shout echoed off the massive stone homes that lined the street, causing every one of the Policemen to turn and look in their direction.
"Fuck," Neville pulled at Pansy's gown, effectively pulling her, until she swung around in front of him going the opposite way. "Run."
She was sick of him telling her what to do, but in this one case, she decided to listen.
"I have an idea," he said, grabbing her hand. Even as furious as she was at him, she held it as they ran all the way across the city. Until they left the city behind, coming into a neighborhood with bigger houses and shady, fenced in lawns.
"Where the hell are you taking us, Longbottom?" she whispered meanly, keeping an eye out. So far, they managed to avoid detection by jumping fences and cutting across backyards.
"Just, trust me," he replied and Posy gave her a wink like the answer was good enough.
He carried Posy easily and gently unlatched a gate to a small corner house, one painted a bright sunshine yellow, gesturing for her to go down the pathway first.
She looked him right in the eye as she passed by. "I guess I don't have a choice."
"Damn it, woman," he groaned in frustration, following her quickly. They rushed up to the porch and Neville reached out to knock on the door quickly.
Posy reached down to tug on her hair as they waited for whoever lived in the bright yellow house to answer the door and she felt some of her tension leech off, not enough to calm her racing heartbeat and pounding headache. But it gave her a small sense of relief. Posy looked much happier than the last time Pansy had seen her.
"Looks like Papa's," she gave a small smile. "Pretty."
Tarrant went gray early in life, but it wasn't a typical color. God, if only her Papa could see her now. Her heart raced even quicker, suddenly remembering her mother was still with Vistain. What would he do now that she'd left him? This country was infested with wolves, and all of them hated her guts for what Vistain made her do to them. She needed to leave pronto.
She just worried Posy wouldn't come with her. But maybe that would be for the best. Pansy forced herself to smile for Posy, but it hurt her bruised jaw and felt uncomfortable at best. "Thank you, sister."
She glanced at Longbottom, felt her rage prickle all over again. No, Posy would not be safe here. Not with that bastard who violated her mind, who lied to her. She remembered when she went after Pearl.
Neville lied to her that night too.
Damn it. It was Pansy's fault Posy ended up with him! Her fingers curled, mind a whirlwind of unstoppable thoughts.
"Hide your dagger," he ordered her as he knocked again.
"Fuck you," she hissed, fists shaking. Maybe he'd been right about one thing though, she certainly wasn't thinking clearly. Her blood felt like pure caffeine. "I should split you in half for what you did."
"Oh go on then," he shouted in frustration. "Put me out of my misery."
"Will you two please stop fighting?" Posy shouted in the exact same tone as Neville.
Just as the door opened and revealed the owner of the yellow house. Kingsley Shacklebolt.
Tall, dark, and holding a beater's bat in lieu of a wand.
"Oh fuck!" Pansy yelled, turning to run. He led her right into a trap!
Neville caught her around the arm and she looked from him to the Minister of Magic then back again. He said, "Please, for once in your goddamn life, just trust me."
She used all her strength to pull away from Neville's hold—and went nowhere. Damn he got stronger! That cheating bastard. Her sword grew from her hand, prepared to fight her way out, when Posy hopped down from Neville's back and rammed her. Hard. Neville released her, equally shocked at the move as she was.
The surprise of it more than anything sent Pansy to her ass, her sword bouncing away and crumbling to ice. "Posy!"
"He said to trust him!" Posy shouted, standing over her, throwing her hands out in frustration and crowding her enough that Pansy decided to stay on her rump. Her heart was about to burst it's way right out of her chest, it went so fast. Too fast. Possibly about to pass out.
"Mr. Longbottom," the Minister started slowly, lowering the bat.
"Minister," Neville greeted. "About that favor you owe me…"
"The one you earned when you saved me… from her?" he gestured to Pansy in the grass. Then he laughed. "Yeah, alright, come on in gang."