A/N: Stay with me, I know this may seem dragged out, but it's the most
important part. Still disturbing, BTW. Many Thanks to Elizabeth Dakins
(Polaris) for the idea of Silver tears. I hope you don't mind, but I HAD to
get some essence of Polaris in here somewhere!
Apologies for the blasphemy, but I think it would have been the first reaction.
The Painful Truth
I heard two sets of rapid footsteps thundering our way. I knew instantly who it was, and rushed out from behind the curtains to catch them.
They were both out of breath, and red in the face.
"Where is she? Ren, what happened? Let me see her! Let me pas...JESUS CHRIST!"
I was thankful for my strength then, more than I ever have been. Severus could quite easily have gotten past me had I had run-of-the-mill power in my arms.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Ed demanded, his face awash with worry.
He and Severus had never seen me like this, but they knew it could happen, and why. If I had been in their position it would have stopped me in my tracks too. I just swallowed hard, and decided that I had to tell him on his own.
"Ed, I'll tell you now, but I need you to go and get Dumbledore. Be as discreet as you can, and get him up here now. Just tell him it is very serious."
He never questioned, and ran down to the hall at the speed of light. Severus looked pleadingly at me, and the first thing I could think to do was throw my arms around him. His voice softened straight away; and he halted his attempts to get past me.
"Ren, what is it? Please, I..."
I stepped back from him, and looked straight into his eyes. I was about to bring his world crashing down around him, and it hurt me so much.
I wiped a silver tear from my eye, and began to tell him.
"Severus, I...I don't know how I'm meant to tell you this. I don't want to seem insensitive, but I am going to have to be blunt; we don't have much time... Lily and I have been keeping...keeping something we shouldn't have from you, and..."
I couldn't do it. I never thought that I would be the one to tell him. It was tearing me apart to have to say it.
Thank God for Severus' common sense. He placed his hands firmly on my shoulders, and tried to snap me out of it.
"Rene, what happened? Just tell me. It'll only be harder on us both the longer you wait!"
It worked. Just like it had with lily, it worked.
"Lil-Lily's pregnant."
There was a long pause. He just looked at me in disbelief, and then had to steady himself against the wall. He just stared into space, as if I weren't there.
"P-Pregnant?"
"Severus, I'm so sorry...We should have told you sooner, but she couldn't! Believe me she tried, but it..."
He looked back at me, with a sharpness to his gaze that any students of Hogwarts who have ever crossed their potions master will know.
"Woah, hang on...Sooner? Just how long have you known?"
"Ummm, Severus, please, she was going to tell you!"
"I can't believe you. Y-you'd hide something like this for, what, a month? Two? THREE?"
"Well about that, but listen to me! That doesn't matter, what does is..."
"It doesn't matter? IT DOESN'T MATTER?"
"Severus, please, Listen!"
"Don't you DARE tell me to listen to you! You have No Right to tell me what to do, NO RIGHT!"
He had now drawn himself up to his full height, and his hands were clenched so hard is knuckles were as white as my eyes.
"SHUT UP! JUST FOR ONE MINUTE SHUT UP AND LET ME TALK! WHAT MATTERS IS THAT LILY IS IN THERE IN AGONY, AND THAT SHE HAS AS GOOD AS LOST THE BABY, AND WE MAY BE LOSING HER TOO!"
And that was the most painful, most unforgettable moment I have lived through. I watched the bottom fall out of his world. The anger drained from his face like water down a drainpipe. He just slumped against the wall and fell onto his knees, staring at the floor. I had just hurt one of the people I most cared about beyond what any stranger was capable of.
Apologies for the blasphemy, but I think it would have been the first reaction.
The Painful Truth
I heard two sets of rapid footsteps thundering our way. I knew instantly who it was, and rushed out from behind the curtains to catch them.
They were both out of breath, and red in the face.
"Where is she? Ren, what happened? Let me see her! Let me pas...JESUS CHRIST!"
I was thankful for my strength then, more than I ever have been. Severus could quite easily have gotten past me had I had run-of-the-mill power in my arms.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Ed demanded, his face awash with worry.
He and Severus had never seen me like this, but they knew it could happen, and why. If I had been in their position it would have stopped me in my tracks too. I just swallowed hard, and decided that I had to tell him on his own.
"Ed, I'll tell you now, but I need you to go and get Dumbledore. Be as discreet as you can, and get him up here now. Just tell him it is very serious."
He never questioned, and ran down to the hall at the speed of light. Severus looked pleadingly at me, and the first thing I could think to do was throw my arms around him. His voice softened straight away; and he halted his attempts to get past me.
"Ren, what is it? Please, I..."
I stepped back from him, and looked straight into his eyes. I was about to bring his world crashing down around him, and it hurt me so much.
I wiped a silver tear from my eye, and began to tell him.
"Severus, I...I don't know how I'm meant to tell you this. I don't want to seem insensitive, but I am going to have to be blunt; we don't have much time... Lily and I have been keeping...keeping something we shouldn't have from you, and..."
I couldn't do it. I never thought that I would be the one to tell him. It was tearing me apart to have to say it.
Thank God for Severus' common sense. He placed his hands firmly on my shoulders, and tried to snap me out of it.
"Rene, what happened? Just tell me. It'll only be harder on us both the longer you wait!"
It worked. Just like it had with lily, it worked.
"Lil-Lily's pregnant."
There was a long pause. He just looked at me in disbelief, and then had to steady himself against the wall. He just stared into space, as if I weren't there.
"P-Pregnant?"
"Severus, I'm so sorry...We should have told you sooner, but she couldn't! Believe me she tried, but it..."
He looked back at me, with a sharpness to his gaze that any students of Hogwarts who have ever crossed their potions master will know.
"Woah, hang on...Sooner? Just how long have you known?"
"Ummm, Severus, please, she was going to tell you!"
"I can't believe you. Y-you'd hide something like this for, what, a month? Two? THREE?"
"Well about that, but listen to me! That doesn't matter, what does is..."
"It doesn't matter? IT DOESN'T MATTER?"
"Severus, please, Listen!"
"Don't you DARE tell me to listen to you! You have No Right to tell me what to do, NO RIGHT!"
He had now drawn himself up to his full height, and his hands were clenched so hard is knuckles were as white as my eyes.
"SHUT UP! JUST FOR ONE MINUTE SHUT UP AND LET ME TALK! WHAT MATTERS IS THAT LILY IS IN THERE IN AGONY, AND THAT SHE HAS AS GOOD AS LOST THE BABY, AND WE MAY BE LOSING HER TOO!"
And that was the most painful, most unforgettable moment I have lived through. I watched the bottom fall out of his world. The anger drained from his face like water down a drainpipe. He just slumped against the wall and fell onto his knees, staring at the floor. I had just hurt one of the people I most cared about beyond what any stranger was capable of.
