Chapter 5 - A Girl and Her Pooka
A/N: It all belongs to Rowling, except what you don't recognize.
A big, big hug and thank you for my beta, Ramos.
"Well, you should at least put on some eyeliner, it will make your eyes seems larger."
"No one sees my eyes, I wear dark glasses. It cuts down on the pain."
"Well, still a bit of make-up couldn't hurt you. It might even encourage that werewolf creature. Oh, and don't forget this word, rhinoplasty, it's something the Muggles have. It could help with your nose."
"There's nothing wrong with my nose. It's retrousse. Quinn says it's lovely, just like Judy Garland's."
"Of course, it's lovely. If you are a skiing fanatic..."
Viola squashed her urge to scream. It wasn't that she had anything against talking mirrors in general…
"Oh and one more thing dear… Judy Garland came to a rather sticky end."
There was the sound of shattering glass and a cut-off scream. Iolanthe came out of the bathroom and walked into the kitchen.
"Oy, Quinn. Could you add getting a new mirror to your shopping list? I'm heading back to bed."
Quinn put down his copy of the London Times. "Viola, aren't you heading into the office?"
"No, I just said I'm going back to bed."
"How did it go last night?"
"Smoothly, perfectly, a piece of cake covered in Devon cream. I… I need some more sleep. We were up late, that's all. Oh and I got an owl from our lovely Prof. Snape. We are off the case. It's been given to Mr. Lupin. It seems he comes a bit cheaper than us. I'll be in bed with the covers up and over my head. Don't bother to say good morning, because it's not." And she stalked into her bedroom.
"Well, that's fine, Viola. You have a lovely lie in. I'm just going out for a walk."
&&&
One of the main differences between a magical being and a wizard, thought Quinn, is that wizards can't do much wandless magic and can't Apparate unless they know where they are going. Nor are they able to Apparate to a safe house. For Quinn, all he had to do was think, "Lupin", and he was there, watching the man eat his Wheatabix.
He manifested himself hoping to scare the living whatsit out of him. It didn't work.
"I presume you are Quinn?" Lupin looked up at the furry creature towering over him.
"Quite right, ready for your Nobel prize, eh?"
"Yes, well, not many 6 foot tall ermines walking about this time of year, are there?"
"No, there are not. Where is the Granger girl?"
"Upstairs, happy as a hippogriff in flight, swotting away with about 50 books lugged down by house elves from Hogwart's this morning. And why are you here might I ask?"
"Because I'd promised you, Lupin, that I'd wear your guts for garters if you didn't stay away from Viola, and I intend to make good on my promise right now."
Lupin thought that he had managed to duck the first swipe made at him by the huge paw. That was until he felt the warm trickle of blood heading down his face and splattering on the floor. His cereal and chair had also gone flying as well.
"Right." He backed away, trying to keep an exit behind him. "Go ahead and kill me, but answer a couple of questions first."
"You can stall as long as you like, it will be the same in the end." Quinn continued to advance.
"Were you there in the apartment that time I spent the night?
"No. I spent part of the night on a bench in Hyde Park and the rest of the night at the Internet Café surfing the web." His eyes took on a feral gleam.
"Second question: how do you manage to go rent DVDs and order drinks in pubs if no one can see you?"
"You see me now."
"As a six foot weasel."
"That's a stoat, young man, -- don't insult me, you're in enough trouble as it is." He pointed at Lupin with an extended bloodied claw. It looked quite sharp.
"Stoat, then."
"Like this." Suddenly the huge stoat shimmered and a very tall, elderly patrician with eyes and hair both the color of steel stood before him.
"Is this better? So you prefer that I thrash you with human hands rather than shred you to bits with my claws?"
He was removing silver studs from his cuffs and rolling up his sleeves.
"One more question: do you really think she's better off with you than me?"
"Of course she is, you scoundrel. You come in and, without so much as a by your leave, take her virtue?"
"Sorry to tell you this, but I didn't take her virtue. And she wasn't a virgin when we first met twelve years ago, either. You didn't answer my question; do you think she's better off with you than me? Do you keep her happy? Can you even satisfy her?"
With an inarticulate grunt the man threw himself at Lupin and put one hand around his throat in a chokehold. Amazingly, Lupin managed to keep talking even as he felt his windpipe start to crush. "Think about it, Quinn. She never goes out, she just watches old movies with you and orders in from curry houses. Doesn't she deserve a bit more from her life?"
"You disgust me. How dare you talk about my…"
"About your what?" he managed to croak. He could barely see for the blood dripping in his eyes nor hear from the sound of blood rushing in his ears.
The man stood quite still and a smile edged around his lips. He released Lupin, who slumped to the floor. "Oh, you are a clever one. All right, Viola's my great-granddaughter. I am Lord Iolanthe, and it shall be an immense pleasure to make you suffer for your insolence..."
"You still haven't answered my question, your Lordship. I'd hate to die with it unanswered and have to haunt you." Lupin attempted a grin in spite of the searing pain in his throat.
"In my day no man even would think about such matters regarding a woman until the banns were published."
"I fear that you have forgotten which century you are living in. And from my understanding of Fairies, they don't usually hold themselves to such high moral principles when it comes to mortals. But that's beside the point.
"Did you know that Viola is actually an excellent cook? You don't even let her near the kitchen from the looks of it."
"Cooking is for commoners, she's an Iolanthe."
"Quite, but she doesn't go shopping anymore or even to the park."
"She falls in potholes and walks into kiosks. She's blind, you damnable…" thundered the pooka.
"Right, let's stop with the names. The Viola I knew didn't mind getting a few bruises here or there, she'd just laugh it off. Her favorite saying when we were together was that if it was organic she could see it and if she could see it she could hex it. And she was a brilliant hexer, too.
"It took me a little while to figure out this go round what had changed about her, but I understand now, it's you. You've wrapped her up in cotton wool. You coddle her and treat her like an infant. But she doesn't need you: you need her. She mentioned that your powers are failing and you can't really manifest yourself for long periods. Look at you now -- you're going weak in the knees.
"She's the only one who can see you in your natural state. Without her, you might as well head back to that Tor and sleep for another century or so."
Lord Iolanthe sat heavily down at the table. "I need to protect her from the likes of you." He said quietly.
"Actually, she didn't mention that you were living with her and she doesn't know who you are or I would have cleared it with you? All right? I am serious about her. Back when we first met, I realized that she was pretty special. She could see I was cursed but treated me like anyone else. The problem was that I had an attitude about my condition. I didn't deserve a great girl like her. I probably still don't, but I lack the pride that I used to. Look, if it will make you feel better--"
Lupin cleared his very painful throat.
"Lord Iolanthe, I respectfully request to have your great granddaughter's hand in marriage."
The pooka tried to speak, but it was clear that he was could barely hold his head up. He started to flicker and then fade out.
"Your lordship? Quinn?"
The pooka gasped, "Well, it's about time." And faded completely from sight.
&&&
Iolanthe didn't show up to her office until half-past twelve. She carried with her a super-large size container of hot chocolate from the coffee bar below. She took a sip and wiped a mound of whipped cream off her nose as she looked at Quinn. "What's wrong? You look the way I feel."
"Viola, I hope you know that I've always been honest with you, that I've always been upfront."
"Sure, Quinn." She watched as he brushed back his whiskers with his huge paws. He rarely did this unless he was really upset. She got up from her chair and came round the desk to sit next to him. She took his paws in her hands.
"Almost six years ago, your fairy blood sang out to me and woke me from a deep slumber. I sought you out and you, in the kindness of your heart, befriended me. I didn't know who I was. We didn't know for sure that I just wasn't some animagus stuck mid-shape shifting. We only knew that your fairy blood had called to me. We assumed that I was pwca." Quinn used the ancient Welsh term. His face twisted in a strange way as he searched for the words to continue.
"But for the past year, I've been having glimpses of who I was. I'd see parts of my old life. Things which I believe now were simply too painful to remember earlier. There was a woman; she looked like you but had darker hair and eyes. It took a while for me to put a name to the face, but then it came. She was Isadora and she was my wife."
"Oh Quinn, I'm so happy for you." Iolanthe leaped up and put her arms around the huge stoat's neck. "Is she still alive? Can I help you find her?"
He shook his head. "She died over a century ago. But she provided me with four handsome, very intelligent sons. From what you have told me, your grandfather and his brothers are still in good health. I haven't been able to tell you all this because it would have meant taking my leave of you. I want to go see them before I become much weaker. I want to apologize for walking out on them when their mother died. I need to ask their forgiveness."
Iolanthe couldn't see for the tears welling up in her eyes. "You're my great grandfather? They never talked about you. I didn't know. Oh Gods. Quinn? Look, I'll come with you. I mean they are all over the place. Great-uncle Alexander is in New Zealand. Unkkie Max is in the States…"
"No, no child. This is something I'm going to do by myself. I need to go alone; it's just that I wasn't sure how you'd get by without me. Promise something now? Promise me that you'll take on that Lupin fellow as your partner?"
"Quinn-- should I keep calling you Quinn? I, I don't need Remus. I did fine before he ever stepped into my life and I don't need him now."
"Maybe not, but I still want you to do this for me. Please?"
"Well, I'll ask him. That's the best I can do."
"Good, and now I'll say goodbye. I have a lot to tell you about your history, but don't worry, I'll send an owl."
"No. Stay and tell me." She watched as he slowly shook his head. "Will I see you again?"
"I won't lie to you. I've been an exile from the land of fairy for a very long time now. I don't know what happens to those who lose touch with their magical base. I guess I will find out. My promise to you is that if it is at all possible, I will return to you."
He kissed her gently on the head and turned away. Tears were welling up in his dark eyes and his mouth twitched in an attempt to keep his composure. It wouldn't do for her to know just how much this upset him. Or that he thought it quite unlikely that they would ever see each other again. For even if this was the last time they were together, it was better than her watching him grow more and more feeble by the day. No, that wouldn't do at all.
And with that he left the sobbing Iolanthe. She cried for twenty minutes and then she locked up the office to head back to bed for the rest of the day.
&&&
That evening, as soon as he was relieved from his duties by Black and Hooch, Lupin Apparated to London. He spent about two minutes looking over his flat and then decided to head over to Viola's.
When she opened the door, the first thing Lupin noticed was that she wasn't wearing her dark glasses and that her brilliant blue eyes were swollen and red. The second thing he noticed was that she was refusing to look at him. The last thing he noticed was that she was wearing a maroon and lime green dressing gown, and that some salesgirl somewhere needed to be hunted down and punished for taking advantage of the handicapped.
"Hi Viola."
"Hullo yourself. I see we are back to first name basis again. Some timing, eh? Quinn leaves and you show up." She shrugged her shoulders and headed to her couch. "I'm listening to some of his favorite films, Easter Parade is on next." Tears started running down her cheeks.
"Viola, pull yourself together." Said Lupin.
"I can't find my dark glasses. It's giving me a migraine." She sniffed.
"Do an Accio."
"I've been doing Accios all bleeding day!"
"Wait don't bother," Lupin removed the glasses from where they had been sitting atop her head and put them into her hands. "They were on your head all along."
"I can't do this. I can't be without him."
Lupin took her in his arms. "Yes, you can. I'm here for you, girl." He kissed her neck and then her cheek, leading to her mouth. "I'm here for you." His voice became husky.
"No, Remus." She tried to push him away. "How do I know you won't go all cold on me again?"
"Because I've already tried and I can't get over you. Do you need proof? Marry me."
"Okay, now, the codswallop detector has come on loud and strong, ding, ding, ding. What went on between my great grandfather and you?" She stood up and stepped away from him.
"I was going to tell you."
"How much money? No, I don't want to know. Get the hell out of here. Accio wand."
Lupin reflected that this seemed to be his day for fighting members of the Iolanthe clan. "Expelliarmus," he whispered. Now holding two wands, he took a step back, avoiding her slap. He didn't escape the kick to his shin. "Now, stop that, Viola." He hopped up and down rubbing the painful spot.
"You come back into my life after twelve years, then you disappear again and now, we're supposed to be partners, business and/or marriage? I smell a pooka, a very large white pooka. What? Did he threaten to kill you if you didn't take care of me? Go to hell." He grabbed her arms before she could shove him, but she raised her knee, still heading for below the belt, but this time a little higher. He blocked the shot to his groin with his knee. "Viola, cut that out. Will you calm down and listen to me."
He pushed her up against the living room wall and extended both her arms above her head. Because they were the same height, they were nose to nose. "Twelve years ago I fell in love with you. You know that, you were there. And yes, I broke things off. Your family is rich, very powerful and, on top of that -- frankly, a bit intimidating. I got cold feet and left. I couldn't even give you a proper explanation. But you were so strong and independent, I wasn't even sure if you'd notice I'd gone."
Iolanthe started to open her mouth but Lupin placed a small kiss there to quiet her. "Still my turn.
"When I saw you again a few weeks ago, you had changed. At first I thought you were sick or something and I just wanted to see if there was anything I could do for you. But you were healthy, it was just your confidence had gone down the shoots. You were so much more vulnerable. I guess I went too fast again, but it felt like those years hadn't happened and I still love you."
She strived again to worm out of his grip so he made it tighter, forcing a little gasp from her.
"Afterwards, I called to see how you were doing and a man answered. He made it seem that you two were involved in a permanent thing. He threatened to kill me if I saw you again. I wasn't sure what to think -- whether you really wanted me or if I was messing up your life again. I'm sorry if you thought I had dumped you a second time. He was very good at running interference. Owls couldn't find you. I'd try to walk to your office and find myself lost. But last night you found me and I was able to put a tracing charm on you when I kissed you. That way I knew that I could see you again, no matter what tricks your great grandfather tried to play.
"Anyway, he and I did have it out this morning and I got him to accept that this time I'm serious. I swear I will never hurt you again and I just want a chance to prove it."
Lupin's voice lowered to a growl. "The problem is that you haven't been quite straight with me. Tell me the truth. You can't read my aura, can you? If you could, you'd know that I want you for yourself, not money, not out of fear. And you'd know that I was telling the truth when I say I love you. Right? Right? You let me walk away from you all those years ago because you didn't know how I felt.
She made one more attempt to break his grip and then she slumped against him.
"Damn, Remus. You're right. You've figured it out. I can't read you. Your curse is too strong. I'm sorry."
He let go of her wrists, but kept her held tightly against him. He whispered, "Why? Why couldn't you have been honest with me?"
"How do you tell the man you love that he looks like he just stepped out from a vat of grape jelly?"
"Jelly!"
"It's the curse. I can't see a thing through it. Anyway it seemed so minor compared to…" Iolanthe clapped her hand to her mouth.
"Compared to what? Viola, answer me now." Lupin held her at arm's length. "Come clean now, this is the time for a fresh start. Trust me."
"I can't. I'll lose you forever." Again, she tried to get away from him.
Lupin pulled her close and kissed her, noticing that her dressing gown had come undone and she was naked underneath. "Believe me, I'm not going anywhere." He swallowed and tried to smile.
Fresh tears started to flow and Viola hiccupped. "I need some water."
Lupin gave her his handkerchief and got some water from the kitchen.
"Now, explain."
"Remus, you know that fairies have acute senses, right?"
"So I have read and you seem to be an example of it, though you are mostly human. Thank goodness."
"Well, dark magic and curses have a smell."
For a count of five, there was complete silence and then.
"Oh, Gods." Lupin collapsed into the sofa. "How bad? Viola, how bad is it?"
"Well, I can tolerate it… I mean when we first met, I kept trying different charms and enchantments, but nothing worked so, I got used to it."
"Viola, this is important. Tell me, now. How bad? Oh no, and when we were at your nephew's naming ceremony?" Lupin blushed to the roots of his grey and brown hair.
"Well, they all tried various enchantments, and a few of them even tried breaking the curse itself. No one succeeded. Except Auntie Amaranth, she had you smelling like rotten cabbage for about 12 hours…."
"I remember her. She was the one with the one magical prosthetic eye?"
"Umm. That's actually her real eye. It's always been like that."
"I remember everyone coming up to congratulate her. I even went up to shake her hand. She gave me the oddest look."
"Well, now you know why." Viola sat down and pulled her feet underneath her, shivering. Lupin put his arm around her and pulled her close.
"So, rotten cabbage was an improvement? Describe how I smell."
"Remus, I don't—"
"NOW."
"It's pungent, acrid, a bit like burning tires with the h-harbor at low tide thrown in."
"And you love me and want to be with me, anyway?"
"Yes, of course I do."
"Well, there's no problem then." Lupin took her hand and kissed it. "I'm honored that you would put up with a grape jelly-covered, smelly creature such as myself."
"You mean it?" Iolanthe stared in shock.
"Well, at least now I understand why your family treated me as they did," he laughed.
"Oh, Remus." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. He carried her into the bedroom.
&&&
Basking in the afterglow, Iolanthe played with her lover's thick chest hair while thinking about the fact that she had one more confession to make. "Remus, how keen are you on this honesty thing?"
"Very keen." He took her hand.
"Well then, maybe I should let you know. I was a virgin when we met. I was embarrassed to say anything."
Lupin pulled her closer to him and sighed. "Viola, I think we've had enough honesty for one day." They curled up together and fell asleep.
A/N: Many, many thanks to all the kind reviewers for lending their support: Stargurl, Darkfire, Plastic, Ezmerelda, Arsinoe, Gethsemane, Sunshine Daisies, and Risi.
