Fifty-Five
Recovery
Even when the watch slid from "Mortal Peril" to Hogwarts, Jennifer couldn't help but notice just how pale and grey the ring was. She took her key home from the hospital and found herself in a silent house, realizing that Bael had probably gone to the Black mansion for the evening. Glancing at the clock, she took to pacing the floor and had been doing it for some time before Mercy finally came out.
"Do you need anything, Jennifer?" Mercy asked.
"Just let me know when the lockdown ends," Jennifer said and kept pacing.
Mercy blinked out, and it was only a few minutes later that there was movement in the tree painting on the mantle. Alicia stepped out of the painting.
"Mum, it's me. I'm here to get you back in," Alicia said, making a quick picture of the castle in the air. Gasping from relief, Jennifer hurried over and took her hand.
Pretty soon the two of them were hopping paintings over to the hospital wing, dropping out of a painting just outside of it and rushing in the door. They were immediately shushed by Sagittari, who was preparing some potions. Sagittari frowned at Jennifer.
"Just what have you been doing? Your face is burnt..."
"Don't you start," Jennifer snapped, hurrying over to where she saw Severus in one of the cots, covered heavily with bandages but sleeping peacefully. Jennifer sat down and took his hand.
"Icarus told me what happened. Are they going to be okay?" Alicia asked quietly. Sagittari nodded. "Your father had a close call, but he should pull through... although if I'm not mistaken, he had to use one of his Elixirs to do it. Laura is doing better. She was scratched heavily and had deep gashes on the leg, but only had the one bite."
"It only takes one," Alicia whispered somberly.
"Yes, but she's not responding in the expected way," Sagittari said, putting potions on his tray.
"What do you mean by that?" Alicia asked, confused.
"Come," Sagittari said, taking his tray and leading Alicia into the back room.
Laura was sleeping with bandages on her shoulder, chest, leg, and wand arm, but for the most part, she was sleeping peacefully... and as a human, no less. Alicia frowned, wondering about that, realizing with a mere glance out the window that the moon was still up.
"How long does it take before the disease takes hold?" Alicia asked.
"An hour or two," Sagittari said solemnly. "I'm told it's a painful experience as well." Alicia frowned.
"She doesn't look like she's in pain," Alicia said, shaking her head.
"And it's been well over an hour," Sagittari added.
"Let me go get Carol before you wake her. It won't take me long to get her here," Alicia suggested.
"Very well," Sagittari agreed as Alicia touched the painting. Sagittari maintained a silent vigil until they returned, coming in from the hallway. Carol raced over to the other side of Laura's bed, holding her hand.
"Is there hope? Is there hope this dreaded fate has not taken her?" Carol asked anxiously.
"At this point I can only say that it is not progressing as expected," Sagittari said, putting a phial under her nose.
Laura batted it away and attempted to turn over only to find out that she couldn't, wondering why she was so uncomfortable.
"Laura," her mother called, and she opened her eyes, very disoriented and wondering where she was as she saw her mother sitting next to her, Sagittari standing over her, and Alicia watching curiously from the doorway.
"I'm at Hogwarts," Laura murmured. "Is Viorica all right? And the headmaster?"
"Viorica is uninjured and the headmaster will recover," Sagittari said.
"I got bit," Laura said evenly, touching her shoulder bandages.
"Lean up, I need to give you some potions," Sagittari said, the pillows immediately plumping up behind her, helping her sit up enough to take them. "How are you feeling?"
"Uncomfortable," Laura admitted.
"No pain? Just uncomfortable?" Sagittari said.
"It's these bandages," Laura complained, frowning when she saw her chest was completely covered with them and sat up further.
"No pain at all? Isn't that quite odd?" Carol asked.
"It is unusual," Sagittari agreed. "I'm going to need to prick your finger for a blood sample."
"What about Dad?" Laura asked.
"Still asleep. The moon hasn't set yet," Sagittari said, taking the sample back over to his table in the other main ward. Alicia followed him in, sitting on the bed near her parents and wondering why her mother was acting so strange.
Jennifer barely acknowledged them, even when Sagittari past her. She was too busy holding onto Severus' hand as if her life depended on it, her full attention on his face despite the fact he had been given a sleeping potion that didn't induce dreams. A bit puzzled by her intensity, Sagittari ran his tests, frowning in confusion the more of them he checked, until he finally spoke.
"No excelled regeneration. No magical enhancement or morphing cells. I may as well be using Viorica's Muggle microscope for all the lack of information I have gotten. It's as if she was never bitten at all!" Sagittari exclaimed.
"Oh, that," Jennifer said distractedly.
"What do you mean, 'oh, that'?" Sagittari asked, frowning at her.
"Severus probably gave her the temporal potion he was working on," Jennifer explained, still not taking her eyes off Severus. "He was trying to alter the Three Day Pass potion so that when it resets body chemistry back three days, it also resets magical diseases that affects the blood, including Lycanthropy. I think he labeled the experiment under 'Last Resort'."
"Those potions are illegal," Sagittari said flatly.
"He knows," Jennifer said, not looking up. "I don't think he cares. I don't think Laura's parents are going to care either."
"Probably not," Sagittari said, going back into the next room. Laura and Carol looked up when he came in. "Laura, did the headmaster give you some sort of potion after you were hurt?"
"Yes. He told me to drink it and to not ask any questions," Laura explained. Sagittari sighed with exasperation. "Is something wrong?"
"Nothing as far as you are concerned, at any rate," Sagittari said, glancing over at Carol. "She'll be fine."
"What do you mean?" Carol asked, still afraid to hope.
"I mean... she'll be fine. She's not infected," Sagittari assured her.
"Oh, thank goodness! Oh my baby!" Carol said, tears of relief falling as she hugged Laura close. Laura protested to no avail, and Sagittari had to sternly scold Carol for getting too excited.
In the other room, Alicia listened to the ruckus and shook her head with a knowing smile.
"That's Father for you," Alicia said knowingly. "Always with a backup plan. The man just doesn't want to accept anything other than a happy ending, does he?"
"He's just trying to counterbalance for all of the tragedies in this world," Jennifer said distantly, holding his hand to her face, still grasping it as if unwilling to let go.
Frowning at that, Alicia decided to go back up to the Headmaster's Study only to hear Icarus speaking to someone else.
"Don't worry about it, Professor Ravenclaw, I have someone monitoring him," Charlie Weasley's voice said, his image partially evident in the fireplace. "His wounds are pretty severe but he's regenerating, and his father has been giving us tips on how to speed the process up. Once the moon sets, we'll take him out of the Menagerie and move him to the hospital wing. How is Professor Lupin?"
"He's recovering in the vault we prepared for him," Icarus replied. "I have Mr. Black and Mr. Carnegie monitoring, but Professor Lupin wasn't as badly injured as Matteo and never came off his potion dose. I expect he'll be back to his own self... well... in a few more days," he amended.
"All right, I'll let Ivano know since he was asking. I'll keep you updated," Charlie promised.
"Thank you," Icarus replied, waving the flame away then looking up. "Please come in, Alicia, sorry to keep you waiting."
"Do you need me for anything else?" Alicia asked.
"No, thank you, Alicia, the lockdown will be lifting the moment the moon sets, which will soon be upon us. Things are starting to calm down once more, so everyone should have a chance to recover," Icarus said.
"Maybe, but I'm really worried about my mother right now," Alicia admitted. "She was frantic when I got to her at the house, and even since I brought her to the castle, she really doesn't look any better. To be perfectly honest, she looks as if she's barely holding it together."
"Yes, that's why I called you to help in the first place, actually. It would have been much worse if she had stayed there by herself," Icarus said, gazing at Alicia seriously. "Your mother was involved in a rescue attempt last night that ended very badly. Knowing Jennifer, she's been too busy worrying about everyone else's safety to deal with her own pain from that event yet."
"That'd be like her," Alicia agreed with a sigh. Icarus went over to the desk, moving Jennifer's divination chart out of the pile he had gathered. He glanced at it thoughtfully.
"I believe there is only one person that can bring her out of her shaken state without lasting effect," Icarus decided. "Fortunately for us, he hasn't gone home yet."
"Someone you want me to get?" Alicia asked.
"No, if I'm not mistaken, I believe he's already monitoring and will come on his own the moment the castle resets," Icarus decided. "I think it's safe for you to go home and get some rest."
"Alright, but don't hesitate to call again if you need me," Alicia said, hopping in a painting and stepping away.
"Armando, is Hermione awake?" Icarus asked.
"Dozing in her office, Professor," Armando answered.
"Let Demura know that lockdown ends around 6:50. I need to go down and make a recovery potion for Remus, so if you could kindly send the nearest professor on patrol to disarm Jennifer's ghost trap before I get there, that'd be lovely," Icarus said dryly.
"Professor Scribe is on her way down, Professor."
"Oh, and please ask Hermione to hold all Owl Post until the headmaster himself gives permission to release it, including periodicals," Icarus advised.
"I believe she was already planning to do so, Professor," Armando replied. Nodding at that, Icarus descended through the floor.
The sky was just starting to lighten and the dawn breaking as Severus awoke, feeling both warmth and numbness in his hand. He opened his eyes slowly to see Jennifer staring at him with an intense, worried gaze. That was when he noticed her the redness of her skin and the state of her singed hair.
"What in craters happened to you?" Severus grunted.
"Long story, not ready to talk about it yet," Jennifer admitted quietly. "You?" Severus thought about it for a moment.
"Same," he replied. Jennifer nodded in acceptance, leaning her head against him in relief but not releasing her death grip on his hand. "Laura?" he asked. Jennifer sat back up, smiling proudly at him.
"Bitten and clawed but not a sign of disease anywhere. Sagittari is quite convinced your ingenious potion worked. Carol is in there with her. She's very relieved to say the least, but I'm sure it pales in comparison to how Remus is going to react when he finds out. You're quite the hero again."
"Assuming I'm not imprisoned for it. Again," Severus added for good measure. "Would you mind terribly switching sides? I rather think that hand needs a break from that grip you're giving it. Is something wrong?"
"No... it's... I don't want to talk about it," Jennifer said again, but Severus had noticed how quickly her smile faded and how intense her gaze had gotten again.
Before he could formulate a way to breach the subject, the two of them felt a tremble and heard the sound of sliding rock in the distance. Outside, several gargoyles flew past the windows, resuming their normal posts. Severus was expecting Jennifer to relax her grip now that the lockdown was over, but it hadn't gotten better at all. Finally he insisted, offering his other hand only to have the tight grip resume again on the other side.
The door to Sagittari's hut opened and he came inside with another tray of potions, but this time, he walked over to Severus.
"Good morning, Severus. How are you feeling?" Sagittari asked, Severus glanced at Jennifer, but knew from her intense gaze that he wasn't going to be able to downplay it.
"Terrible," he admitted. "In pain all over. Especially my right hand for some reason..."
"Still well enough for humor, I see..." Jennifer scolded him.
"As I recall, you used to joke more when your wounds were serious," Severus reminded her.
"Are they serious?" Jennifer asked, immediately turning anxious and making him regret saying anything at all.
"Serious, yes, life threatening, no, provided that I get these potions in him to prevent infection. Do you mind letting him go for just a moment?" Sagittari asked.
"It's quite all right, Doctor, I can do this one handed," Severus said.
Sagittari sighed in resignation and began handing him his potions, waiting for one to take effect before starting on the next. It was during that time that Remus ran in, completely ignoring Sagittari's comments on his wounds and condition as he went to the back room and shut the door. "Why doesn't anyone in this school listen to anything I say!" the centaur exclaimed in exasperation.
"If I know Carol, she'll be marching him out here once he's been reassured about his daughter's condition," Severus replied. "Although I can't help but wonder who it was that gave him his recovery potion this morning, since it's obvious he must have been given one."
"Perhaps whoever did it should have waited until I had looked him over first," Sagittari said irritably, handing him a bottle. "Last one, Severus, a pain potion."
"You couldn't have given me that one first, could you?" Severus said critically, downing it and handing it back.
"I am going to see to my other patient, as well as drag that wolf out here to get taken care of whether he likes it or not. This entire castle is filled with nothing but self-sacrificing fools!" Sagittari complained grumpily, slamming the tray down before going to the back.
"No truer words were spoken," Severus agreed.
"Are you feeling better?" Jennifer asked intently.
"Yes, although there's really no need to worry, you know," Severus murmured. "I took a phial of Elixir last night."
"You were hurt so badly you had to take a phial?" Jennifer asked with a gasp. Severus grimaced, realizing his attempt at putting her at ease had managed to make her even more anxious; the deathgrip on his hand tightening again.
"My point is that I'm in no danger at the moment. When was the last time you've eaten, anyway? Or slept for that matter..."
"I'm fine," Jennifer said stubbornly.
"Jennifer?" someone called from the door.
Jennifer looked up in complete surprise on hearing the voice of Albus Dumbledore. Albus and Bael stood just inside of the doorway, both of them watching her with concern. Jennifer made the mistake of meeting Albus' gaze, immediately realizing that he already knew what had happened since last night... had already guessed what she was going through... finally she looked away, and Severus noticed that her hand was trembling.
"Jennifer?" Severus asked questioningly.
"Lady Jennifer," Bael said, walking over and crouching beside her. "I have come to look after Severus for you. You have my word that I will not leave his side until you return. Do you trust me to take care of him?" he asked, gazing at her with such open sincerity that Jennifer finally released her grip and nodded.
"Come, Jennifer. Let's you and I have a talk," Albus insisted, gently helping her up.
"I don't want to talk about it," Jennifer said again, her eyes glassing over.
"Fine, as you wish, but at least come have a cup of cocoa with your old friend, hm? You haven't visited me very much this trip, you know," Albus said, somehow managing to coax her out of the hospital wing. Where would you like to visit at, Jennifer?" he asked.
"I don't know," she admitted as the walked towards the stairs. But after a few steps she felt a bit dizzy and saw they were just outside the open entrance leading up to the spiral staircase.
"Well! It looks like the location picked itself for us," Albus said with a chuckle, leading her up the stairs, completely unsurprised when cocoa and biscuits were waiting for them when they arrived.
When Thomas Craw arrived at the gate of the castle that morning, Icarus Ravenclaw was hovering there, waiting for him.
"You're my escort?" Thomas asked skeptically.
"I'm in charge of the castle at the moment," Icarus explained. "Things got rather dire here last night."
"I believe it, if Severus was willing to put you in charge," Thomas replied. "I need to remove Maurice from school for a few days. Is he in class?"
"No, I went ahead and canceled classes for the day. Come along, I'll take you to him," Icarus said.
"Does he know what happened yesterday yet?" Thomas asked.
"I am withholding the Owl Post. I don't think he's heard anything unless you told him something."
"No, I just told him to get packed and we'd talk about it when we get home. How's Jennifer?"
"I had Alicia retrieve her last night when I learned from Mercy she had gone home alone," Icarus said. "Albus Dumbledore came just after moonset and is talking with her in the study."
"If anyone can get her to open up, it's Dumbledore," Thomas nodded in approval.
"And how are you, Thomas?" Icarus inquired.
"Worried," Thomas admitted. "There's no way Don orchestrated what happened by himself. I can only think of one person who could have done it."
"Yes," Icarus agreed somberly. "Yes, I think you're right."
The two of them walked through the castle together in silence on their way to the library, several students and even some of the faculty paused to watch the two Ex-Wardens of Azkaban pass by, wondering if it was a bad omen.
As they came into the library, Boulderdash looked up with an intense, somber gaze. He was about to get up to go to the Owl Room when the door opened, and Garvan and Maurice came out side by side, talking about the team's prospects in their next Quidditch game. But they both stopped in their tracks when they saw Thomas standing there with an expression even more somber than usual.
Thomas found himself pausing as well, looking between them. They were just months away from graduating, getting married, and leading their own lives... and both of them would be directly impacted by yesterday's events.
"Are you finally going to tell me what's going on?" Maurice asked, his frustration somehow breaking the tension.
"When we get home," Thomas said with a nod. "Take care of yourself, Garvan."
"Sure," Garvan said, wondering why that sounded so strange.
"I'll see you when I get back," Maurice told Garvan. Then he turned his full attention to his father as the two of them walked out of the castle.
"Perhaps you should spend time with Natalie and your friends instead," Icarus suggested to Garvan.
"I suppose," Garvan replied. "Are we going to be getting our Owl Post anytime soon?"
"Let me get a Tarot reading, and I'll get back to you," Icarus decided. Garvan blinked.
"Okaaaay," Garvan said, and went back to the Owl Room, wondering... not for the first time... why anyone would put Icarus in charge of anything.
Laura let out a grateful sigh that Sagittari was letting her leave, very glad to get out of bed. She put on the fresh change of clothes that her mother had brought for her, carefully working the robe over her shoulder. She tossed her hair in a tail and put her wand back in her sleeve, inspecting what was left of her cloak. Well, it had taken a lot more beating when she was an Auror, she decided. Then she found herself chuckling about the fact that she could compare being an Auror to her current job. Putting the potion Sagittari wanted her to take with her in her pocket, Laura cautiously opened the door to the main hospital wing.
In the center bed sat the headmaster with a book in his hand and a pile of books that Anna had brought beside him. Sitting in the chair next to him was Bael. He had a book of his own, often asking questions that made the headmaster stop and give long explanations so that he could better understand what he was reading. Laura smiled at them and stepped forward, causing both of them to look up. When she walked over to the bed, Bael smiled and offered her his chair. He stepped over to the cabinets on the other side of the room, digging out a tea set.
"Letting you go, is he?" Severus inquired.
"Apparently," Laura said, sitting down. "How long do you have left in here?"
"One more day, until some internal wounds have healed more fully," Severus said. "Then again, considering he gave me the same exact estimate yesterday, I know better to hold him to that."
"I'm so sorry that you ended up hurt," Laura began, but Severus quickly waved it off.
"You did what any faculty member would do in your position and went to protect a student in trouble. But next time, I would appreciate it if you would inform someone if you're planning to do something like that... even telling a painting will work if you are pressed for time," Severus advised.
"You're right, I wasn't thinking of that. I was just thinking of getting to her as quickly as possible," Laura admitted. "But someone really should talk to her, because her reasons for being out there were very strange. For some reason, she thought that Professor Disparte was going to hurt his son."
"I'm sure someone must have spoken to her about it by now, but if you're concerned, I suggest speaking to Boulderdash. As her advisor, he probably can give you some insight," Severus suggested. "And any other Owl member you happen to be nosy about."
"I wasn't being nosy. I was simply expressing concern," Laura said defensively.
"Oh, lord, now I know we're in for it," Severus said in such a tone that she finally realized he had been teasing her. She glanced behind her to see Bael going to special lengths to take his time making Severus' tray.
"Well, I probably shouldn't detain your friend much longer, but there is something I really want to ask you while you're in no position to run from the answer," Laura decided daringly.
"Oh?" Severus prompted.
"Why?" Laura asked.
"Why what?" Severus asked expressionlessly.
"Why have you been looking after me for months now?" Laura asked with exasperation. "Because it was a lot more often than you stepping in front of that werewolf. I've heard enough random comments from people to know you have been orchestrating things to make sure someone was there to pick me up any time I fell. In fact, you did it so often that you've got me half convinced that sudden interest of yours to moonlight as an Auror was for my benefit... and even if I'm off base on that one, I know damn well that advertisement for a librarian assistant didn't stay open for months because there were 'no suitable applicants.'"
"No, it is true that the position didn't have any suitable applicants for months," Severus replied. "Because you hadn't applied yet."
"Finally, an admission," Laura declared. "But you still haven't told me why."
"Because your father asked me to as a condition of his job," Severus replied evenly.
"No, it's not that. I mean, yes I know he did that, it'd be like him to, but I am quite sure there's more to it than that, or you wouldn't have gone to such lengths," Laura pressed stubbornly. "What's the real reason?" Severus considered the question for a moment, then finally seemed to shrug in resignation.
"The real reason, Laura, is that you remind me of Jennifer when she was your age," he admitted quietly. Laura blinked.
"Wait. What?" Laura asked. She didn't know what she was expecting as the real answer... but whatever it was, it certainly wasn't that.
"Jennifer was always barreling into situations like you just got into with that werewolf... using herself as a shield just as you did to ensure Viorica's safety. She constantly put her own feelings on hold and raced towards any challenge, and put her own life on the line time and again when someone she cared about was threatened... yes well, in many ways, she still does that. But back then, she was also questioning everything and everyone around her, especially their intentions and motives. She never accepted anything at face value, most especially when anyone was kind to her. She was so unsure of herself that every compliment was questioned and every good turn was enough to spend months wondering why anyone would bother," Severus explained. Laura felt her cheeks grow warm. "I only regret that I didn't notice the similarities in your personalities sooner. I might have objected when Harry suggested you pick up extra classes so you could train as an Auror; I would have realized how perilous a position that would put you in. I could have suggested many other paths that would have suited you better and still would have gotten you the experience you needed to become a teacher, which is what quite obviously you were meant to do."
"I wouldn't go that far. Not that I don't want to teach, because I do, I just don't know if I am actually going to be good at it. What if I go to all the trouble of getting a teaching license and then find out I have no talent in it at all?" Laura asked. Severus rolled his eyes.
"Yes, thank you for proving my point," Severus said, shaking his head at her. "Such a pity you don't have access to an entire castle of teachers willing to help that can waylay those fears of yours. And for my sake as well as yours, I hope you find someone willing to try and keep up with you, because just the thought of having to keep up with both of your escapades while teaching at this school exhausts me to no end."
"Yes, well, I don't see that happening either," Laura protested, chuckling with embarrassment as she got up.
"No, of course not," Severus said unconcernedly.
"Thank you, Professor," Laura said sincerely.
"You can thank me most by passing that teacher's exam," Severus replied. Nodding with a smile, Laura walked out of the wing and down to see Boulderdash.
Bael brought over a folded table, having gotten the knack of popping it out just so to lock it as he set it down. He looked up with a smile to see Severus staring between his watch and the Dragonheart Diamond.
"Shall I track Lady Jennifer down and ask her in?" Bael inquired.
"She'll rake you across the coals if you try leaving me," Severus pointed out.
"Is she feeling any better?" he asked, putting Severus' tray on the table.
"Better, I think... but lonely," Severus murmured.
"Perhaps she'll be down on her own then," Bael suggested. Severus closed his eyes a moment.
"To think what she must have gone through... and then to sit at my side in this ward all night and not tell me because of my being in this condition..." Severus murmured. "Now I understand why she fights so much when she's the one stuck in this bed."
"Surely not hurt as badly as this," Bael protested.
"Dear God, yes, just as bad and sometimes much worse, and more times than I can count. This is only my second time, a pittance in comparison," Severus replied.
"It is hard to believe she's been through so much. She looked so fragile when we arrived yesterday," Bael said.
"Someone needs to tell her that I know about the Coventry situation now. Perhaps it'll help her be brave enough to return," Severus said. Just then, they both heard a violin, and they glanced up to see the Rogue Painting. He nodded once and left.
"It would appear that help is on the way," Bael chuckled knowingly.