Beginning of the End
Authors: Starchild and Saavik
Chapter Five: The Truth Is Out There
***Disclaimer*** See Chapter Seven.
When you see // ..// it means the person is thinking and not talking.
*********
Joseph apparated outside of his cousin's house. He paused to stare at the structure. //The house looks normal enough, so why do I always get a weird vibe when I go in? I don't trust Stephan, that could be it. He is too, I don't know. He seems to try and be something he's not. And when he stops pretending, I get an urge to run in the opposite direction. And what about Cat? She hasn't been herself since she got here. What happened to the little girl Jamie and I raised after her parents died? She use to have a sharp wit, a real brain with a load of free will. Now she just sits at home or covers Stephan's classes for him. I swear she is the instructor and not him, he's gone so much.// Joe shook his head and walked into hell.
A shiver ran down his spine as he entered the front room. Everything was normal, it always was. To normal. He moved into the kitchen and began to survey the disaster zone. //That little elf, she is so clumsy. Poor thing. Stephan keeps her frightened half to death and Cat is not much help. She doesn't understand the little-thing's drive to do things, to serve. Cat hates being waited on. Let's not forget that Tink is all-alone here as well. I mean, who in America keeps house-elves, well besides Cassandra and that lot...//
Just then Tink walked in. "Mistress thanks you, sir, Joseph, sir. She not feeling well. Tink make her lie down." Joe nodded, this was not unexpected. Every time Cat fought with Stephan she would take to her bed. Joe looked the elf over, besides her rapidly healing arm, the creature looked fine. Yet, she appeared to be bothered by something. Joe waved his wand and the kitchen began to clean itself. Tink only nodded in thanks, unlike her usual exuberant hugs.
"Tink, what's wrong?"
Tink blinked for a moment she was not to tell Cat about the 'medicine' in her nightly drink, but Master said nothing about not telling Joe. The elf gave an eerie smile "Oh, Sir. Master left and did not give Mistress her medicine!" Upon further deliberation, Tink started banning her head on the table and saying "Bad Tink. Not to tell Tink. Tink is bad, bad elf." Joe stopped her by grapping her shoulders and setting her down on the aforementioned table.
"WHAT medicine?" The worry was very apparent in his voice. "I didn't know she was sick. Can you show it to me, maybe I can give it to her." //Or figure out what it is. She is not sick, she would have told us. If he is controlling her, or poisoning her, it could explain a lot. I'll rip the bastard apart if he hurt her. She is my little girl, even if we are close in age and I have my own daughter now. I raised her damn it! I should have stopped them. I should have stopped HIM.//
Tink looked at the fuming potions instructor and lead him into the back room. The room Cat was not allowed in. The room nobody went in except Stephan. He called it his 'private' place. Joseph could see why. The walls were filled floor to ceiling with books of questionable topic. One long table transversed the magically enlarged center. It was strewn with parchments and odd-looking devices. A cauldron and a box full of ingredients took up one corner of the heavily crowded workspace. Joe raised an eyebrow. Being the potions teacher he was use to everyone coming to him for potions. Most people couldn't brew a decent cold remedy without blowing something up. While still taught to the youngsters, potions were widely considered a profession for, well professionals. Most magical ingredients needed specific handling and care or they could turn poisonous. The classes remained more out of tradition than anything else. And to attract the few truly talented students to the discipline. So what was the muggle studies teacher doing brewing potions in his back room? //Wait a sec. That root, it is really expensive. He is not messing around with what ever this is. But he left it out. Slob. And that clump of herb there, that's a dark ingredient, blood yarrow. Has to be picked from the dark side of a mountain where blood of wizard has been spilt. What is he up to.//
Joe carefully inventoried the other ingredients. "Oh, god. Priore Imminere." The cauldron flared purple and Joe stared into it. Smoke swirled inside and he watched a list of herbs and dark potions ingredients flash before him. The list was clear. Only one potion used all of them, and in that order. Turning to the elf, Joe sat on the floor. "He's been dosing her with a love potion!" Tink nodded and smacked herself half- heartedly on the head with a spoon, grinning and hugging Joe at the same time.
Suddenly Joe started to laugh. Cat, hearing the noise, came running in. Upon seeing the scene she proceeded to scream, "What the hell."
"Oh, Cat..Leave it you." Tink stared to giggle while still hitting her head. Joe once more descended into hysterics.
"Would you stop laughing and explain to me why you are on the floor of my husbands private room with a crazed house-elf on your lap, brewing a potion!" Cat's tone was menacing to say the least, aggravated, not in the slightest by her pounding headache.
Joe stopped laughing and Tink started to cry. "Cat honey, I'm not brewing anything. Stephan is. Does he ever give you a potion?"
"No, of course not. Taking a potion made by a layman would be stupid." Joe nodded and Cat continued. "Besides, he wouldn't fix anything himself. He can't even cook pasta. The only thing he seems to know how to make is my nightly hot cocoa."
Joe looked skeptical. "Hun, he's been slipping you a love potion. I tested the cauldron. A dark love potion, as if there really is any other kind." Cat stared. Everything in her mind, all the confusion and missing pieces fell into place. Why she was always tired. Why everyone else seemed to move so fast. Why she got a migraine every time they fought and he didn't give her the glass of cocoa.
"THE BASTARD!"
Joe looked back up at Cat in surprise. He had thought that he would have to do a lot more to convince her, if it was even possible to, than just TELL her. //She must have been fighting if off little by little for quite some time. Which begs the question, why didn't he just use a one- time dose potion? It would have been simpler and far cheaper.// Joe stopped thinking and pulled his cousin in for a much-needed hug.
"Come on, lets get this stuff to the authorizes."
Cat stiffened. "No. I don't.I don't want anyone to know. Gods, this is humiliating. Look at the stupid muggle, got herself drugged."
"No one will think that. He has to be punished Catilyna."
"We'll tell Miz. Halloway tomorrow after classes. Get him fired. But that's all, Joe. I don't want my name in the paper. And I don't want the kids to find out their teacher is a criminal. I've been laughed at enough in my life. That's why the kids don't know I am a muggle. I won't willing put myself into a position to be ridiculed. And don't tell Jamie. She'd try to kill him and I don't want her, or you, getting hurt. Stephan can be rather, brutal." Seeing the look on Joe's face, Cat quickly added, "No, he never hit me. He just, well, yells a lot. And he threw Tink out the second story window once. And he went after one of the kids' pets when it went to the bathroom on our newspaper..well. You get the picture." Joe looked skeptical. He reluctantly agreed to Cat's wishes after she almost begged him not to go when he moved towards the door. Drying Cat's tears and giving her a quick pepper-up potion he apparated them to his house and tried to eat dinner. HE would see Stephan pay with more than his job, if it was the last thing he did.
Cat was quite. When Jamie asked she claimed to be planning Stephan's lessons for the next few days. Jamie nodded and left it alone. Cat always took over the muggle studies classes in Stephan's absence, and did a wonderful job, nothing new there. Jamie and Joe went to bed after seeing Cat home. Joe warded her door so he would know if the bastard came back early. The night passed.
A/N: It is finally DONE! Chapter 5 is completed, no more outlines. I'm literally dancing, no really. My dog is looking at me like I am nuts. Or a big steak. Think I should go feed her. Defiantly. She just started to eat my notebook...word of advice. Feed your animals before writing for six straight hours.
LL&P Saavik
Authors: Starchild and Saavik
Chapter Five: The Truth Is Out There
***Disclaimer*** See Chapter Seven.
When you see // ..// it means the person is thinking and not talking.
*********
Joseph apparated outside of his cousin's house. He paused to stare at the structure. //The house looks normal enough, so why do I always get a weird vibe when I go in? I don't trust Stephan, that could be it. He is too, I don't know. He seems to try and be something he's not. And when he stops pretending, I get an urge to run in the opposite direction. And what about Cat? She hasn't been herself since she got here. What happened to the little girl Jamie and I raised after her parents died? She use to have a sharp wit, a real brain with a load of free will. Now she just sits at home or covers Stephan's classes for him. I swear she is the instructor and not him, he's gone so much.// Joe shook his head and walked into hell.
A shiver ran down his spine as he entered the front room. Everything was normal, it always was. To normal. He moved into the kitchen and began to survey the disaster zone. //That little elf, she is so clumsy. Poor thing. Stephan keeps her frightened half to death and Cat is not much help. She doesn't understand the little-thing's drive to do things, to serve. Cat hates being waited on. Let's not forget that Tink is all-alone here as well. I mean, who in America keeps house-elves, well besides Cassandra and that lot...//
Just then Tink walked in. "Mistress thanks you, sir, Joseph, sir. She not feeling well. Tink make her lie down." Joe nodded, this was not unexpected. Every time Cat fought with Stephan she would take to her bed. Joe looked the elf over, besides her rapidly healing arm, the creature looked fine. Yet, she appeared to be bothered by something. Joe waved his wand and the kitchen began to clean itself. Tink only nodded in thanks, unlike her usual exuberant hugs.
"Tink, what's wrong?"
Tink blinked for a moment she was not to tell Cat about the 'medicine' in her nightly drink, but Master said nothing about not telling Joe. The elf gave an eerie smile "Oh, Sir. Master left and did not give Mistress her medicine!" Upon further deliberation, Tink started banning her head on the table and saying "Bad Tink. Not to tell Tink. Tink is bad, bad elf." Joe stopped her by grapping her shoulders and setting her down on the aforementioned table.
"WHAT medicine?" The worry was very apparent in his voice. "I didn't know she was sick. Can you show it to me, maybe I can give it to her." //Or figure out what it is. She is not sick, she would have told us. If he is controlling her, or poisoning her, it could explain a lot. I'll rip the bastard apart if he hurt her. She is my little girl, even if we are close in age and I have my own daughter now. I raised her damn it! I should have stopped them. I should have stopped HIM.//
Tink looked at the fuming potions instructor and lead him into the back room. The room Cat was not allowed in. The room nobody went in except Stephan. He called it his 'private' place. Joseph could see why. The walls were filled floor to ceiling with books of questionable topic. One long table transversed the magically enlarged center. It was strewn with parchments and odd-looking devices. A cauldron and a box full of ingredients took up one corner of the heavily crowded workspace. Joe raised an eyebrow. Being the potions teacher he was use to everyone coming to him for potions. Most people couldn't brew a decent cold remedy without blowing something up. While still taught to the youngsters, potions were widely considered a profession for, well professionals. Most magical ingredients needed specific handling and care or they could turn poisonous. The classes remained more out of tradition than anything else. And to attract the few truly talented students to the discipline. So what was the muggle studies teacher doing brewing potions in his back room? //Wait a sec. That root, it is really expensive. He is not messing around with what ever this is. But he left it out. Slob. And that clump of herb there, that's a dark ingredient, blood yarrow. Has to be picked from the dark side of a mountain where blood of wizard has been spilt. What is he up to.//
Joe carefully inventoried the other ingredients. "Oh, god. Priore Imminere." The cauldron flared purple and Joe stared into it. Smoke swirled inside and he watched a list of herbs and dark potions ingredients flash before him. The list was clear. Only one potion used all of them, and in that order. Turning to the elf, Joe sat on the floor. "He's been dosing her with a love potion!" Tink nodded and smacked herself half- heartedly on the head with a spoon, grinning and hugging Joe at the same time.
Suddenly Joe started to laugh. Cat, hearing the noise, came running in. Upon seeing the scene she proceeded to scream, "What the hell."
"Oh, Cat..Leave it you." Tink stared to giggle while still hitting her head. Joe once more descended into hysterics.
"Would you stop laughing and explain to me why you are on the floor of my husbands private room with a crazed house-elf on your lap, brewing a potion!" Cat's tone was menacing to say the least, aggravated, not in the slightest by her pounding headache.
Joe stopped laughing and Tink started to cry. "Cat honey, I'm not brewing anything. Stephan is. Does he ever give you a potion?"
"No, of course not. Taking a potion made by a layman would be stupid." Joe nodded and Cat continued. "Besides, he wouldn't fix anything himself. He can't even cook pasta. The only thing he seems to know how to make is my nightly hot cocoa."
Joe looked skeptical. "Hun, he's been slipping you a love potion. I tested the cauldron. A dark love potion, as if there really is any other kind." Cat stared. Everything in her mind, all the confusion and missing pieces fell into place. Why she was always tired. Why everyone else seemed to move so fast. Why she got a migraine every time they fought and he didn't give her the glass of cocoa.
"THE BASTARD!"
Joe looked back up at Cat in surprise. He had thought that he would have to do a lot more to convince her, if it was even possible to, than just TELL her. //She must have been fighting if off little by little for quite some time. Which begs the question, why didn't he just use a one- time dose potion? It would have been simpler and far cheaper.// Joe stopped thinking and pulled his cousin in for a much-needed hug.
"Come on, lets get this stuff to the authorizes."
Cat stiffened. "No. I don't.I don't want anyone to know. Gods, this is humiliating. Look at the stupid muggle, got herself drugged."
"No one will think that. He has to be punished Catilyna."
"We'll tell Miz. Halloway tomorrow after classes. Get him fired. But that's all, Joe. I don't want my name in the paper. And I don't want the kids to find out their teacher is a criminal. I've been laughed at enough in my life. That's why the kids don't know I am a muggle. I won't willing put myself into a position to be ridiculed. And don't tell Jamie. She'd try to kill him and I don't want her, or you, getting hurt. Stephan can be rather, brutal." Seeing the look on Joe's face, Cat quickly added, "No, he never hit me. He just, well, yells a lot. And he threw Tink out the second story window once. And he went after one of the kids' pets when it went to the bathroom on our newspaper..well. You get the picture." Joe looked skeptical. He reluctantly agreed to Cat's wishes after she almost begged him not to go when he moved towards the door. Drying Cat's tears and giving her a quick pepper-up potion he apparated them to his house and tried to eat dinner. HE would see Stephan pay with more than his job, if it was the last thing he did.
Cat was quite. When Jamie asked she claimed to be planning Stephan's lessons for the next few days. Jamie nodded and left it alone. Cat always took over the muggle studies classes in Stephan's absence, and did a wonderful job, nothing new there. Jamie and Joe went to bed after seeing Cat home. Joe warded her door so he would know if the bastard came back early. The night passed.
A/N: It is finally DONE! Chapter 5 is completed, no more outlines. I'm literally dancing, no really. My dog is looking at me like I am nuts. Or a big steak. Think I should go feed her. Defiantly. She just started to eat my notebook...word of advice. Feed your animals before writing for six straight hours.
LL&P Saavik