Disclaimer: not mine
WARNING: Strong language!!!
Chapter 29
Outkast stood and turned to see a great deal of the school staring at her in horror, at the far end of the hall Albus, Minerva and Severus looked pissed.
"It's your mess you fix it" Severus spat gesturing towards the unconscious Moody, Outkast sighed she was going to comply but only because she couldn't bare the look Harry would give her if he found out, she waved her hand in his general direction and headed back to the infirmary just as Moody got himself to his feet… well foot. Outkast stalked straight past the professors and went to Harry's bed first; Madame Pomfrey was checking him over
"How's he doing?" the nurse bristled Outkast sighed she needed to clear the air
"Poppy I apologise for my unacceptable behaviour but in my defence if you knew there was a possibility of someone doing this to Harry and you told the people who are meant to guard him and basically got told to grow up and go away wouldn't you be pissed?" The nurse raised an eyebrow Outkast smiled sheepishly and lifted the silencing spell
"Right sorry I forgot" Poppy sighed
"Don't worry and no I wouldn't be angry" Outkast raised an eyebrow, the nurse continued
"I'd kill them" Outkast snorted she didn't doubt, but then returned to her fist question
"How is he?"
"Physically he's exhausted; he's wrenched his shoulders and hips and has exacerbated some older injuries" Outkast was confused
"What injuries I thought all the previous damaged had healed" Poppy sighed and nodded
"Yes the older injuries had healed but had left large amounts of scar tissue… especially at the point of penetration" Poppy stopped when Outkast nodded that she got what the medi-witch was saying. Outkast glanced over at Remus
"What about that one?"
"He's sleeping, prolonged time under the curse has drained him, he was apparently fighting it. When he wakes up I don't know if he will forgive himself, he does love Harry and it will eat at him that this happened" Outkast nodded
"Yeah it will, we will just have to be there for both of them…" Severus walked up to the bed cutting off what ever Outkast had been about to say. He placed his hand on his son's forehead and brushed a few stray bangs out of his eyes, even under dreamless sleep Harry whimpered and moved from the touch. Albus was the next to appear.
"Severus I know how much you detest St Mungo's but I feel that Harry may benefit from some professional help." Severus held the headmaster's gaze for a long minute
"You're kidding right? You think sending him to some shrink is going he doesn't know is going to help?" Albus opened his mouth to reply but Outkast beat him to it
"Honestly Sev he needs it, he had only just started to talk again, it's safe to assume he won't want to talk to any of us when he comes round" Severus sighed, defeated he knew even if he convinced Albus, Outkast wouldn't easily be swayed and he was too damn tired all he wanted to do was pick up Harry, take him back to their quarters and wrap him in cotton wool and protect him from the world. He nodded at least maybe they'd leave if he agreed.
"Very well I will contact a friend to come and talk to him" Albus took one last remorseful look and the small teen on the bed before leaving. Outkast studied Sev before moving next to him
"Hey, this isn't your fault"
"I know" he spat with venom
"Then why do you have your guilt face on?" she said softly reaching for his hand, he smiled
"You always were the only one who could read me" he looked down into her eyes, tucking her hair behind her ear. His hand lingered for a moment staring into her deep hazel eyes, he lowered his lips to hers possessing them. She stood stock still for a second before melting into the touch. He ran his tongue over her bottom lip begging for entrance, she granted it matching the movement of his tongue with hers. Her hands ran through his hair and he pulled her close, only breaking the kiss when oxygen became an issue. Severus moved away slowly opening his eyes, he stared down at her she was as beautiful as he remembered her being she hadn't aged and never would, she smiled
"Take care of your son he needs you more then ever now" She went to leave but he caught her arm
"Stay" his eyes pleading; asking for help was not something he was known for
"Please stay I can't do this alone" Outkast nodded and drew a couple of chairs to the bed, Severus and Outkast sat next to the still small form waiting for the potion to wear off and him to wake.
On the other side of the infirmary Remus had not been given the benefit of dreamless sleep, he tossed and turned as the images flooded his mind all of the incidents he'd had with Harry since he was under the curse cumulating in the attack that day.
Harry was naked and bound, writhing beneath him, the command is his head was impossible to deny, it kept on him over and over it didn't matter he was fighting it their power was so much stronger. He was going to do this and he had no choice in that matter but maybe he could dull the pain first. Even as he prepared Harry he felt the bile rise in his throat,
"PPlease Remus you're my friend, fight this you don't want to do this" Harry's voice
pleading with him, he redoubled his efforts for control using that voice as anchor his hand faltered but only for a second before the command was enforced into him.
Remus yelled out as he woke gasping, he took a few seconds to realise he was in the infirmary, Outkast came over and took his hand
"It's alright it's over the curse has been lifted" Her voice had a calming quality to it he nodded sadly
"But it was real, I did that to Harry" his voice cracked, he put his face in his hands to hide the tears. Outkast rubbed soothing circles on his back and said comforting words to him, trying to sooth his fragile soul. After half an hour he lay back on the bed, he hadn't noticed that she had sat down on the edge next to him and was holding him.
"I don't deserve your comfort" his eyes were hollow and the words sounded empty
"Why not? You are just as much a victim as Harry in this" he snorted
"I doubt that" she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose
"Remus, the curse was sent using a conduit and while the student part may not have been very strong the mind creating it was, you were fighting against the combined power of at least two wizards and I suspect that Voldemort himself might have added power to it. No one would have been able to fight it off" Remus nodded though her words bought no comfort. Outkast shifted uncomfortably
"I am sorry to ask this but we need to know, do you have any idea who it was who initiated it?" he shook his head, Outkast sighed
"Ok do you know when" Remus thought about this.
"I don't know exactly but the beginning of the summer I think" Outkast nodded and looked directly into his amber eyes,
"Ok you get some rest" she got up to leave he caught the sleeve of her robe, Mental not robes make it easy for people to catch you she though absently before looking back at him,
"How's Harry?" he whispered
"We're sure, he was in the throws of a panic attack when Sev bought him down, they fed him dreamless sleep and we're waiting for him to wake. Physically he's fine emotionally is another story." She left leaving him to digest that as Poppy bustled over.
Severus acknowledged her return with a nod but didn't tear his eyes away from his son. Harry looked so vulnerable his small form barely moving with each breath. He spoke to her but his voice was softer then she had ever heard it.
"Do you truly think counselling will help?" she sighed
"Honestly? I don't know, I do know that Albus forced me into it when he realised what had been happening to Tom and I, but because he forced it I resented it and thing didn't turn out well" Severus raised an eyebrow indicating he expected a further explanation. She smiled ruefully
"I don't know why I'm going to tell you this but here it goes, it took Albus 17 counsellors to notice that it wasn't going to work"
"17? What did you do that required you to have 17?" She grinned
"The first one got off on pain and misery and want all the details so locked the door, I got upset he got a broken nose, 5 said I needed specialist care 4 referred me to a psychiatric ward 3 run away in terror 2 were too scared of Tom to talk to me and 1 handed in their resignation after the first session when I told him human blood tasted good when you cut it with vodka" Severus smiled despite himself
"What happened to the referral?" Outkast shook her head slowly
"Well the specialist I convinced there was nothing wrong with me, and as for the psychiatric ward, I can break out of Azkaban with my hands tied behind my back, what chance did St Mungo's stand? Although that was one of the reasons I left this world." Severus was now interested, Outkast had run out on him one day and he never saw again until this he always wondered when happened.
"You said one of the reasons there were others?"
"One other and Albus be thy name. After I took off from St Mungo's that day to find you he cornered me started to spout his high and might shit about the greater good and I must help the light yaddah yaddah yaddah he basically gave me an ultimatum help him or he would have me arrested as a sympathiser and after all who were people going to believe the twin of the Dark Lord or the Great Albus Dumbledore defeater of Grindlewald Order of fucking Merlin blah blah" she said her voice laden with bitterness. Severus caught her hand and pulled her close into a hug,
"What happened" she snorted
"I told him where to go, and Dementors appeared and took me away to the prison. Two days later I broke out, past the apparition wards and disappeared from the wizarding world to start my life as a muggle. You see Sev I have more reason to hate that old man then I will ever have to hate my brother" she spat the last bit out, Severus held her close he had never known he felt the bitterness in him she was the last straw after Lily he never thought he'd love again and then he met the young Ayesha and she bought him so much joy, pulled him back to the light and gave him hope that he could still love. It had broken him when she had not shown that day, he had tried to track her but Albus had put more and more demands on his times in hindsight he could see why. He kissed the top of her
head; before resting his cheek on it.
"I am so sorry, I didn't know" She sighed softly
"Of course you didn't, how could you?" he felt a tear hit his hand and pulled her round to look in her face, he cupped her chin and brushed the tears away
"That's the first time I have even seen you cry" she chocked a laugh
"Yeah and if you tell anyone I'll kill you" she took a deep breath and the happy mask was back in place she wiped her face and looked at him
"Sev if Albus hadn't caught it me that day what were you going to ask me" Sev smiled slowly
"I was going to ask you to marry me" he said quietly she nodded.
"Do you think we could give it another shot?" He sighed and looked at the bed
"I… I don't know I want to but Harry…" she nodded
"Harry is quite good at looking after himself thank you very much" said a oddly happy but slightly sleepy voice. Outkast smiled
"How long have you been listening in?" he smiled at her
"Long enough and have you two finally got it together honestly you're worse then Ron and Hermione"
"Hey mister you're asking for tickle torture if you don't stop it" she said lightly ruffling his hair Severus stood up and stared at Harry intently
"How are you?" Harry shrugged knowing he wouldn't get away that easy, Outkast cut Sev off
"Harry you should know that Professor Lupin…"
"Was under imperio and had no control over his actions" even Outkast was surprised
"How'd you know that?"
"I felt it, other magic over his own, I don't know who the student party was but it was
Malfoy that cast it. Severus nodded and sighed figured that if the Dark Lord wanted this done Lucius would be chosen. The three were roused from their thoughts when the door opened Albus entered with a rather put out looking Moody behind him. They approached Lupin first and a few words were exchange before they came over to Harry's bed Moody looked reluctant to say anything until Albus glared at him.
"I want to apologise for not take you concerns seriously Outkast" She nodded
"You know I don't use that method of communication with out a reason Moody, your person dislike of me and mine of you do not come into it, if you ever do anything that leads to the people I care about getting hurt again I will hunt you down and when I am through you will be begging me to finish you" Her voice was low and calm but no one was in any doubt she meant it. Albus nodded
"Outkast would you like to say anything to Alastor?" Outkast glared at Albus
"Sure you're a ugly useless bastard with the intellect of a melon and the endearing qualities of a dangling boogie" Harry muffled a laugh into the pillow, Albus raised an eyebrow
"That wasn't quite what I had in mind" she shrugged
"I'm not going to apologise for almost killing the idiot I'm not sorry" she stated Harry attention was drawn to her
"You almost killed him? Why?"
"Because I tried to inform the order that Lupin had been compromised and he didn't listen" Harry nodded
"Err when did you inform them and how?" she shrugged
"I had a two way mirror implanted on the leaf of one of the plants so I could contact them
in a hurry" understanding dawned on Harry
"So that's what you were doing" Outkast looked confused so he elaborated
"Just after you stopped me on the staircase and went away singing Nelly the Elephant I saw you talking to a pot plant" she grinned
"Yup and for anyone else that might have seemed strange" Moodry growled
"You left it in a hallway, anyone could have got hold of it you stupid women what were you thinking" Outkast snapped she'd had enough of that arrogant twat and rallied on him
"Firstly, if you didn't know it was there you couldn't find it and secondly who gave you permission to speak! You are possibly the most stupid fucking wanker with the sense of an aubergine, the intellect of a toilet duck with all the grace and charm of a flobberworm and usefulness of a rubber crutch coupled with that the desirable traits of a stonefish and the looks of the rear end of a blast-ended-skrewt which in total means you have all the worth and allure of a porcupine's backside!" Harry was eating the pillow and shaking from suppressed laughter, Severus was having trouble keeping a straight face, Albus was stunned and Moody looked properly cowed. Outkast took a deep breath and glared at him
"Get out of my sight" she muttered, Moody didn't need to be told twice and stalked off. Albus recovered quickly and turned his attention to Harry.
"I'm glad to see you awake young man" he started Harry eyed him with suspicion that he wasn't going to like this conversation;
"Harry I have arrange for a counsellor from St Mungo's to come in tomorrow for you to talk to" Harry rolled his eyes
"I. Am. Not. Talking. To. A. Shrink." He said in no uncertain terms Outkast smirked her reaction had been similar, Albus held up his hands to silence any other comment
"Now Harry, you have been through a lot and need to talk to someone, just go this once and if it's not productive you won't have to go again" Something in his voice told Harry that a. Dumbledore was going to make him go and b. he was lying about not making him go back. The headmaster rose and left before Harry could respond, so he simply sighed and looked from his father to Outkast for support. Severus smiled weakly Outkast had that damn grin again
"Harry I know how you feel he pulled the same stunt on me. So what you do is turn it into a game" Harry looked incredulous
"A game?" she nodded
"Yup he sent me to 17 different shrinks before deciding I was in fact untreatable" Harry got the point
"That sounds like a challenge to me" She nodded
"Only rule is you can't kill 'em" Harry nodded, Severus smirked
"Are you sure you two are Gryffindor's?" Harry grinned, Outkast blew him a kiss and left, Harry V.s the Shrinks should liven things up a bit round here….
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AN:
May: I warned you about the funky oxo cubes!
Sword Wielder: you're welcome now download loads of Rammstein – if they don't like Papa Roach they'll hate it!
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