* * * *
Madam Pomfrey bent over Glory's bed a final time and administered the potion that would mend her ribs over night. It wasn't the first time she'd seen a referee injured in a Quidditch match and it wouldn't be the last, though she was sure there was something about the injuries that the others weren't telling her. She cast another side long glance at Lupin and Lucius, who were standing nearby, waiting to be told they could see the injured professor.
"Ten minutes," Madam Pomfrey said, glaring hard at the two men. "She needs her rest tonight."
Lupin nodded briskly, then went to the bed and leaned over Glory. She smiled weakly at him, her eyes fluttering closed a second later. She opened them again and struggled to keep them open, the effects of sleeping potion beginning to take over.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Lupin shrugged deeply. "It's nothing. I had to do something."
"Thank you," she whispered again, more fiercely this time.
He nodded, slightly embarrassed. "You're welcome." He smiled again, then backed away to let Lucius near the bed.
"You're really all right?" he asked, his hand immediately seeking hers.
Glory nodded slowly. "I'm fine."
"Draco . . ." Lucius trailed off, his eyes hardening slightly. "Draco apologizes."
Glory's eyes narrowed. "And am I supposed to believe him?"
"He's just a child," Lucius said. "He didn't know what else to do."
Glory looked away from him, her eyes studying her fingers carefully. "He had a lot of hatred in him," she said finally. "I could see it in his eyes right before he crashed into me."
"He'll be punished for his actions," Lucius said. "He knows it and he's sorry for what he did. We talked."
Glory sighed. "I'm sorry, Lucius, I really am, but I can't believe that. I don't believe that the two of you can have a quick talk and make everything all right again. Things aren't that simple."
Lucius frowned. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that maybe Draco isn't as innocent as everyone seems to think." She sighed miserably. "I know that's not something you want to hear, but didn't it ever occur to you that maybe Draco went beyond you? Maybe he's already a Death Eater and you just don't know about it."
Lucius shook his head. "No way. Voldemort would have used him already. He's so close to you, he could kill you . . ." he trailed off, then added, "so easily."
Glory's eyes softened and she sighed again. "Do you see what I'm saying now? There was more than just a lost boy's confusion behind that attack, Lucius. He wanted me dead, but not for himself."
"I'll check on it," Lucius said.
"How?"
"If he's a Death Eater he'll have the Dark Mark on his arm," he said. "I'll find out if he has it."
"He's not just going to show you, Lucius."
He nodded. "I know, but I'll find out." Without another word Lucius leaned down and pressed his lips to Glory's. "Don't worry about it. Get some sleep and get better."
She nodded uncertainly, then turned away and closed her eyes.
Lupin followed Lucius from the room and down the hall, wondering if he should say anything or just go back to the room Dumbledore had supplied him with.
"Did you ever see anything?" Lucius asked suddenly. "When you were teaching my son, did you see any indication that he might be . . . a Death Eater?"
Lupin shook his head. "Nothing. He was cruel, yes, but he wasn't evil."
"What about today?" Lucius asked. "What did you see in him today?"
Lupin struggled for words and found none, shrugging deeply. "I don't know what I saw today. It could have been a boy's desperate attempt for attention or it could have been something more."
"I don't want him to follow my mistakes," Lucius said, then turned and disappeared down the hall.
Lupin stared after him, wondering what Lucius would do once he found his son. If Draco really had tried to kill Glory for the Dark Lord there was no telling what means Lucius might go to, to prevent his son from ever returning to Voldemort.
"What are you doing in the hall so late at night?" a smooth voice asked from behind and Lupin turned to see Snape coming out of the hospital wing.
"I just left Glory," Lupin said.
Snape nodded. "She'll be all right."
"Of course she will."
"No thanks to Lucius," Snape growled, staring down the hall that Lucius had taken. "He's going to get her killed."
Lupin's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about, Severus? It wasn't Lucius's fault."
"Of course it was," Snape snapped impatiently. "She's endangering her own life by associating with him."
"He's here to protect her," Lupin said.
"That's what he'd like us to think. I keep waiting for the day when he'll reveal his true colours and show everyone what he really is. A good for nothing Death Eater." Snape crossed his arms over his chest and stared at Lupin. "He'll never change."
"Of course you think that," Lupin said. "You don't trust anyone . . . Glory was right."
Snape's eyes narrowed and he glared hard at the other man. "Just wait, Lupin. Soon enough Lucius will show everyone who he really is and I'll be proven right. Just wait." With that he turned on his heel and strode back the way he had come, leaving Lupin alone once again.
"What are you planning, Severus?" Lupin asked the empty hall. "Just what do you think you're going to do?"
* * * *
Madam Pomfrey bent over Glory's bed a final time and administered the potion that would mend her ribs over night. It wasn't the first time she'd seen a referee injured in a Quidditch match and it wouldn't be the last, though she was sure there was something about the injuries that the others weren't telling her. She cast another side long glance at Lupin and Lucius, who were standing nearby, waiting to be told they could see the injured professor.
"Ten minutes," Madam Pomfrey said, glaring hard at the two men. "She needs her rest tonight."
Lupin nodded briskly, then went to the bed and leaned over Glory. She smiled weakly at him, her eyes fluttering closed a second later. She opened them again and struggled to keep them open, the effects of sleeping potion beginning to take over.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Lupin shrugged deeply. "It's nothing. I had to do something."
"Thank you," she whispered again, more fiercely this time.
He nodded, slightly embarrassed. "You're welcome." He smiled again, then backed away to let Lucius near the bed.
"You're really all right?" he asked, his hand immediately seeking hers.
Glory nodded slowly. "I'm fine."
"Draco . . ." Lucius trailed off, his eyes hardening slightly. "Draco apologizes."
Glory's eyes narrowed. "And am I supposed to believe him?"
"He's just a child," Lucius said. "He didn't know what else to do."
Glory looked away from him, her eyes studying her fingers carefully. "He had a lot of hatred in him," she said finally. "I could see it in his eyes right before he crashed into me."
"He'll be punished for his actions," Lucius said. "He knows it and he's sorry for what he did. We talked."
Glory sighed. "I'm sorry, Lucius, I really am, but I can't believe that. I don't believe that the two of you can have a quick talk and make everything all right again. Things aren't that simple."
Lucius frowned. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that maybe Draco isn't as innocent as everyone seems to think." She sighed miserably. "I know that's not something you want to hear, but didn't it ever occur to you that maybe Draco went beyond you? Maybe he's already a Death Eater and you just don't know about it."
Lucius shook his head. "No way. Voldemort would have used him already. He's so close to you, he could kill you . . ." he trailed off, then added, "so easily."
Glory's eyes softened and she sighed again. "Do you see what I'm saying now? There was more than just a lost boy's confusion behind that attack, Lucius. He wanted me dead, but not for himself."
"I'll check on it," Lucius said.
"How?"
"If he's a Death Eater he'll have the Dark Mark on his arm," he said. "I'll find out if he has it."
"He's not just going to show you, Lucius."
He nodded. "I know, but I'll find out." Without another word Lucius leaned down and pressed his lips to Glory's. "Don't worry about it. Get some sleep and get better."
She nodded uncertainly, then turned away and closed her eyes.
Lupin followed Lucius from the room and down the hall, wondering if he should say anything or just go back to the room Dumbledore had supplied him with.
"Did you ever see anything?" Lucius asked suddenly. "When you were teaching my son, did you see any indication that he might be . . . a Death Eater?"
Lupin shook his head. "Nothing. He was cruel, yes, but he wasn't evil."
"What about today?" Lucius asked. "What did you see in him today?"
Lupin struggled for words and found none, shrugging deeply. "I don't know what I saw today. It could have been a boy's desperate attempt for attention or it could have been something more."
"I don't want him to follow my mistakes," Lucius said, then turned and disappeared down the hall.
Lupin stared after him, wondering what Lucius would do once he found his son. If Draco really had tried to kill Glory for the Dark Lord there was no telling what means Lucius might go to, to prevent his son from ever returning to Voldemort.
"What are you doing in the hall so late at night?" a smooth voice asked from behind and Lupin turned to see Snape coming out of the hospital wing.
"I just left Glory," Lupin said.
Snape nodded. "She'll be all right."
"Of course she will."
"No thanks to Lucius," Snape growled, staring down the hall that Lucius had taken. "He's going to get her killed."
Lupin's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about, Severus? It wasn't Lucius's fault."
"Of course it was," Snape snapped impatiently. "She's endangering her own life by associating with him."
"He's here to protect her," Lupin said.
"That's what he'd like us to think. I keep waiting for the day when he'll reveal his true colours and show everyone what he really is. A good for nothing Death Eater." Snape crossed his arms over his chest and stared at Lupin. "He'll never change."
"Of course you think that," Lupin said. "You don't trust anyone . . . Glory was right."
Snape's eyes narrowed and he glared hard at the other man. "Just wait, Lupin. Soon enough Lucius will show everyone who he really is and I'll be proven right. Just wait." With that he turned on his heel and strode back the way he had come, leaving Lupin alone once again.
"What are you planning, Severus?" Lupin asked the empty hall. "Just what do you think you're going to do?"
* * * *