Chapter Three: The Long and the Short Of It...
The sky was growing increasingly dark and flashes of lightening could be seen in the distance. Blythe and Remus were sitting on the couch watching a late night movie when the power went out. The lights flickered and died and the t.v. turned off. They were suddenly enveloped in blackness.
"Blasted electricity. It never fails to go out when there's a storm, even if it hasn't hit yet." Blythe grumbled a bit more and looked out the window to watch the clouds form a wall of darkness on the horizon. Just above the house, stars were shining brightly, but in the distance there was nothing but menacing clouds. "Looks like a pretty bad one too."
Remus turned on the couch to see what held her attention. When he noticed the formation of an odd patch of clouds a shiver ran down his spine and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. "Blythe, we need to get out of here."
"What? Why?" She glanced at him with a frown. "It's just a storm."
"No, it's not just any storm. It's unnatural. Something isn't right."
Just as he was rising to his feet, something slammed hard against the front door. Blythe jumped from her seat and stood beside Remus. "What the hell was that?"
"The reason we have to get out."
The back door creaked on it's hinges as it was forced open. Chancing whatever might be outside, Remus grabbed hold of Blythe's arm and yanked the front door open. All they could see was black. Before either of them realized what was happening, Remus was being dragged from the small house and out into the violent weather. Gusts of wind blew hard and battered the walls of their home.
"Blythe, run! Get out of here!" Remus' cries floated out from within a circle of people dressed in black robes.
Blythe immediately stepped forward, but just as she took that first step, she found herself in the grips of two men. At least she thought they were men. They wore white masks, so she couldn't see their faces, only their eyes were visible. She stood there helpless in their grasp and could only look on as the others pulled out wands and directed them at the one in their midst.
"Don't you touch him!", she bellowed.
More than a few heads turned in her direction. They seemed curious about her outburst until she began straining against those holding her back.
"I said leave him alone, you cowards! How dare you pull wands on an unarmed man! I hope you all burn at the stake for this!"
They had thought, unwisely assumed, that she would be too frightened to do or say anything, but her rage was apparent in her voice and actions. The two large brutes at her sides were having difficulty keeping her in place.
"Silence her.", one of the characters ordered coldly. "I don't want her gaining attention."
"She's just a Muggle, what could she possibly do?"
"Ruin everything.", another said. His voice seemed vaguely familiar, but Blythe was far too angry to pay any attention to that.
Then the first blow landed. "You don't want us to use our wands, so we'll improvise. It would have been over with quicker and more painless for him if you'd kept your mouth shut, Muggle." They all proceeded to beat Remus' body with their fists and boots.
For a fleeting moment, it looked as though Remus would make it out alive. He managed somehow to regain his feet and began swinging back. Then he pulled his own wand and fired off one spell after another. Disarming some of them, injuring others. A quick jab to his mid-section slowed him down and knocked the wind from him though. He was quickly relieved of his wand.
"Remus!", Blythe screamed.
"No! Get back in the house!", he called back when he found his voice. His face wasn't visible long before they fell upon him, burying him beneath them.
Blythe was about to yell out again when a hand clamped tightly over her mouth. Her reaction was instant. Her teeth came down so sharply that she could taste blood right before the person, creature, whatever it was, could pull away. She didn't even give either of them time to react. She immediately buried her elbow into the soft spot where the ribs part on one of them, then brought her other hand down and back to grab the other one by his manhood. She squeezed tightly, digging her nails in as much as possible, until he dropped like a stone on the wet ground. Then she rushed to aid her lover. She finished the story by telling Albus how she had managed to pull Remus free and the Death Eaters left when they realized she wasn't afraid of them or what they could do to her. "My only concern was Remus. If I lost him, I don't know what I would've done. I likely wouldn't have cared anymore about who I might hurt or whether or not I got myself killed. I simply would've tried to take down as many of them as possible for taking him away from me."
"The particular cloud I had noticed was actually the dark mark, that's what gave me an idea of what was happening and who was coming. I knew we had to get out, but I thought we might've still had some time. We should have left when the storm began gathering intensity."
"We can't run away from every little storm, Remus. How were either of us to know that's what was causing it?"
"She's right, you know. There's no way either of you could have realized in time what was happening outside. To your knowledge, every indication was pointed to a regular storm building up.", Albus offered helpfully.
"Yes, but the weatherman on the news said it would be a clear night, not a cloud in the sky. And certainly no storms."
Blythe shook her head and wore a smile of amusement. "The weatherman isn't always right, love. In fact, most of the time when he says, 'It's going to be a bright, sunny day tomorrow.' you can guarantee it'll rain. Muggles are terrible at predicting weather, unless they have arthritis or some old injury that acts up when the temperature or dampness in the air changes."
Albus leaned back in his chair and studied Blythe for a moment. "Getting back to your suggestion, is there anything specific you had in mind?"
She thought about this, then nodded slowly. "Well, first we need to fix the castle. Perhaps charms can be placed on the walls to make them stronger and more resilient to attacks. After that, I say we have a celebration of sorts. Make things like they used to be when I was here last. The children were happy and chatted with each other at mealtimes, the staff was the same way." This reminded her of something else. "By the way, Professor Snape was another person missing from the table tonight. Is he...gone too?"
"No, not exactly. It would take time to explain where he was, and it's not something that should be discussed right now. I hope you'll understand."
"Of course, but will he be returning?"
"Yes, as soon as he's able. He still has classes to teach, and he'll be present for those at least."
"It'll be hard to imagine mealtimes without his scowling countenance.", Remus jeered.
"Normally I couldn't agree more, but I'd like to try and settle the past and try to move on. I'd also like to attempt a friendship with him.", Blythe responded gently, her tone suggested that she didn't find the comment as funny as she might have before though.
"Well, now that we're all caught up on what's been happening, I'll have someone escort you to your chambers. Perhaps we can speak at more length later this week. For now, I think all of us could do with some rest, then we can set to work putting Blythe's ideas into actions tomorrow." Albus rose from his seat and moved around the desk to stand before the two. "It's good to see you're both alive and well, and I'm glad you're back here. Bright smiles and kind words have been gravely missed around here lately."
Blythe stood and wrapped her arms around Dumbledore, hugging him gently. "Everything will be fine, I just know it. It might not happen in the next year or two, but eventually things will get back to the way they ought to be. We just need to keep that in mind and not lose faith."
Albus smiled and patted her back. "Thank you, Blythe. Even at my age, words of encouragement can sometimes be necessary."
She stepped back and smiled brightly at him, then turned to Remus, waiting to leave with him.
Remus got to his feet and shook Albus' hand, then nodded and followed Blythe from the room.
Blythe and Remus were silently escorted to their room by a Professor neither of them had ever seen before. When they were left alone at their chamber door, Remus turned to Blythe and commented, "That must be one of the new members of faculty. She'll be filling in for Sprout or Flitwick, no doubt." Blythe nodded and the two of them proceeded to enter the room.
They unpacked quietly, both thinking over what the Headmaster had told them in his office. When they finished putting everything where it belonged, Remus sat by the fire while Blythe made a pot of tea. She brought two cups with her when she finished and sat down on Remus' lap to enjoy the steaming beverage.
"I wonder where we should begin the repairs."
Remus gave her a curious look. "What are you talking about?"
"The castle. It's in rough shape, I'm wondering what needs to be worked on the most. They likely would've fixed up the Hospital Wing by now, but the rest of the place is still in a shambles. That broken tower will have to be looked after in the near future before there's an accident. Greenhouses can wait a little while, but there are vital plants that'll have to be taken care of. There's quite a bit to do."
"Don't worry about it just yet, dear. I'm sure the Headmaster will let us know when we're needed."
"I suppose you're right, but it'll have to be looked after very soon, within the next day or so, in order to get the school running smoothly."
Remus agreed and the two finished their tea, then headed off to bed in order to get some sleep. The next day was going to be quite eventful.
In the morning Blythe woke early and prepared for a long day. She allowed Remus to sleep a bit longer than he may have wanted, his strength still wasn't at its fullest and she wanted to make sure he'd be alright before straining himself helping around the castle. Before leaving the room, she lightly kissed his forehead, pulled the blankets up to his chin, then left for the Great Hall.
There were only three present when she arrived. Albus Dumbledore sat in the center chair at the head table, Professor McGonagall sat to his left and Professor Snape, as Blythe recognized him immediately, was next to Minerva.
Blythe quietly made her way up and sat down to Dumbledore's right. "Good morning, everyone.", she greeted with a smile.
"Good morning, Blythe. I trust you remember Minerva and Severus?"
"Of course, Albus." Blythe's eyes shifted to look at McGonagall, she nodded once, then glanced at Snape. It was obvious to her, now that she was closer, that he had changed drastically in the passing years. He looked more haggard and worn than he had three years ago. Deep lines marred his pale face, his eyes revealed dark circles beneath them. To say the least, he looked absolutely wretched, and made Blythe wonder what had happened to him.
The sky was growing increasingly dark and flashes of lightening could be seen in the distance. Blythe and Remus were sitting on the couch watching a late night movie when the power went out. The lights flickered and died and the t.v. turned off. They were suddenly enveloped in blackness.
"Blasted electricity. It never fails to go out when there's a storm, even if it hasn't hit yet." Blythe grumbled a bit more and looked out the window to watch the clouds form a wall of darkness on the horizon. Just above the house, stars were shining brightly, but in the distance there was nothing but menacing clouds. "Looks like a pretty bad one too."
Remus turned on the couch to see what held her attention. When he noticed the formation of an odd patch of clouds a shiver ran down his spine and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. "Blythe, we need to get out of here."
"What? Why?" She glanced at him with a frown. "It's just a storm."
"No, it's not just any storm. It's unnatural. Something isn't right."
Just as he was rising to his feet, something slammed hard against the front door. Blythe jumped from her seat and stood beside Remus. "What the hell was that?"
"The reason we have to get out."
The back door creaked on it's hinges as it was forced open. Chancing whatever might be outside, Remus grabbed hold of Blythe's arm and yanked the front door open. All they could see was black. Before either of them realized what was happening, Remus was being dragged from the small house and out into the violent weather. Gusts of wind blew hard and battered the walls of their home.
"Blythe, run! Get out of here!" Remus' cries floated out from within a circle of people dressed in black robes.
Blythe immediately stepped forward, but just as she took that first step, she found herself in the grips of two men. At least she thought they were men. They wore white masks, so she couldn't see their faces, only their eyes were visible. She stood there helpless in their grasp and could only look on as the others pulled out wands and directed them at the one in their midst.
"Don't you touch him!", she bellowed.
More than a few heads turned in her direction. They seemed curious about her outburst until she began straining against those holding her back.
"I said leave him alone, you cowards! How dare you pull wands on an unarmed man! I hope you all burn at the stake for this!"
They had thought, unwisely assumed, that she would be too frightened to do or say anything, but her rage was apparent in her voice and actions. The two large brutes at her sides were having difficulty keeping her in place.
"Silence her.", one of the characters ordered coldly. "I don't want her gaining attention."
"She's just a Muggle, what could she possibly do?"
"Ruin everything.", another said. His voice seemed vaguely familiar, but Blythe was far too angry to pay any attention to that.
Then the first blow landed. "You don't want us to use our wands, so we'll improvise. It would have been over with quicker and more painless for him if you'd kept your mouth shut, Muggle." They all proceeded to beat Remus' body with their fists and boots.
For a fleeting moment, it looked as though Remus would make it out alive. He managed somehow to regain his feet and began swinging back. Then he pulled his own wand and fired off one spell after another. Disarming some of them, injuring others. A quick jab to his mid-section slowed him down and knocked the wind from him though. He was quickly relieved of his wand.
"Remus!", Blythe screamed.
"No! Get back in the house!", he called back when he found his voice. His face wasn't visible long before they fell upon him, burying him beneath them.
Blythe was about to yell out again when a hand clamped tightly over her mouth. Her reaction was instant. Her teeth came down so sharply that she could taste blood right before the person, creature, whatever it was, could pull away. She didn't even give either of them time to react. She immediately buried her elbow into the soft spot where the ribs part on one of them, then brought her other hand down and back to grab the other one by his manhood. She squeezed tightly, digging her nails in as much as possible, until he dropped like a stone on the wet ground. Then she rushed to aid her lover. She finished the story by telling Albus how she had managed to pull Remus free and the Death Eaters left when they realized she wasn't afraid of them or what they could do to her. "My only concern was Remus. If I lost him, I don't know what I would've done. I likely wouldn't have cared anymore about who I might hurt or whether or not I got myself killed. I simply would've tried to take down as many of them as possible for taking him away from me."
"The particular cloud I had noticed was actually the dark mark, that's what gave me an idea of what was happening and who was coming. I knew we had to get out, but I thought we might've still had some time. We should have left when the storm began gathering intensity."
"We can't run away from every little storm, Remus. How were either of us to know that's what was causing it?"
"She's right, you know. There's no way either of you could have realized in time what was happening outside. To your knowledge, every indication was pointed to a regular storm building up.", Albus offered helpfully.
"Yes, but the weatherman on the news said it would be a clear night, not a cloud in the sky. And certainly no storms."
Blythe shook her head and wore a smile of amusement. "The weatherman isn't always right, love. In fact, most of the time when he says, 'It's going to be a bright, sunny day tomorrow.' you can guarantee it'll rain. Muggles are terrible at predicting weather, unless they have arthritis or some old injury that acts up when the temperature or dampness in the air changes."
Albus leaned back in his chair and studied Blythe for a moment. "Getting back to your suggestion, is there anything specific you had in mind?"
She thought about this, then nodded slowly. "Well, first we need to fix the castle. Perhaps charms can be placed on the walls to make them stronger and more resilient to attacks. After that, I say we have a celebration of sorts. Make things like they used to be when I was here last. The children were happy and chatted with each other at mealtimes, the staff was the same way." This reminded her of something else. "By the way, Professor Snape was another person missing from the table tonight. Is he...gone too?"
"No, not exactly. It would take time to explain where he was, and it's not something that should be discussed right now. I hope you'll understand."
"Of course, but will he be returning?"
"Yes, as soon as he's able. He still has classes to teach, and he'll be present for those at least."
"It'll be hard to imagine mealtimes without his scowling countenance.", Remus jeered.
"Normally I couldn't agree more, but I'd like to try and settle the past and try to move on. I'd also like to attempt a friendship with him.", Blythe responded gently, her tone suggested that she didn't find the comment as funny as she might have before though.
"Well, now that we're all caught up on what's been happening, I'll have someone escort you to your chambers. Perhaps we can speak at more length later this week. For now, I think all of us could do with some rest, then we can set to work putting Blythe's ideas into actions tomorrow." Albus rose from his seat and moved around the desk to stand before the two. "It's good to see you're both alive and well, and I'm glad you're back here. Bright smiles and kind words have been gravely missed around here lately."
Blythe stood and wrapped her arms around Dumbledore, hugging him gently. "Everything will be fine, I just know it. It might not happen in the next year or two, but eventually things will get back to the way they ought to be. We just need to keep that in mind and not lose faith."
Albus smiled and patted her back. "Thank you, Blythe. Even at my age, words of encouragement can sometimes be necessary."
She stepped back and smiled brightly at him, then turned to Remus, waiting to leave with him.
Remus got to his feet and shook Albus' hand, then nodded and followed Blythe from the room.
Blythe and Remus were silently escorted to their room by a Professor neither of them had ever seen before. When they were left alone at their chamber door, Remus turned to Blythe and commented, "That must be one of the new members of faculty. She'll be filling in for Sprout or Flitwick, no doubt." Blythe nodded and the two of them proceeded to enter the room.
They unpacked quietly, both thinking over what the Headmaster had told them in his office. When they finished putting everything where it belonged, Remus sat by the fire while Blythe made a pot of tea. She brought two cups with her when she finished and sat down on Remus' lap to enjoy the steaming beverage.
"I wonder where we should begin the repairs."
Remus gave her a curious look. "What are you talking about?"
"The castle. It's in rough shape, I'm wondering what needs to be worked on the most. They likely would've fixed up the Hospital Wing by now, but the rest of the place is still in a shambles. That broken tower will have to be looked after in the near future before there's an accident. Greenhouses can wait a little while, but there are vital plants that'll have to be taken care of. There's quite a bit to do."
"Don't worry about it just yet, dear. I'm sure the Headmaster will let us know when we're needed."
"I suppose you're right, but it'll have to be looked after very soon, within the next day or so, in order to get the school running smoothly."
Remus agreed and the two finished their tea, then headed off to bed in order to get some sleep. The next day was going to be quite eventful.
In the morning Blythe woke early and prepared for a long day. She allowed Remus to sleep a bit longer than he may have wanted, his strength still wasn't at its fullest and she wanted to make sure he'd be alright before straining himself helping around the castle. Before leaving the room, she lightly kissed his forehead, pulled the blankets up to his chin, then left for the Great Hall.
There were only three present when she arrived. Albus Dumbledore sat in the center chair at the head table, Professor McGonagall sat to his left and Professor Snape, as Blythe recognized him immediately, was next to Minerva.
Blythe quietly made her way up and sat down to Dumbledore's right. "Good morning, everyone.", she greeted with a smile.
"Good morning, Blythe. I trust you remember Minerva and Severus?"
"Of course, Albus." Blythe's eyes shifted to look at McGonagall, she nodded once, then glanced at Snape. It was obvious to her, now that she was closer, that he had changed drastically in the passing years. He looked more haggard and worn than he had three years ago. Deep lines marred his pale face, his eyes revealed dark circles beneath them. To say the least, he looked absolutely wretched, and made Blythe wonder what had happened to him.