.: Anyway…more writing because I really have nothing better to do:.
The Saints of Donovan
Chapter 5: Unwavering
"But the boy…he's safe?" came the voice from the flames.
"Yes…but he won't be incredibly joyful when he wakes up…he was quite distressed…" Severus said as he paced his small living room in front of the fire, letting scotch burn down his throat.
"Then you must tell him about what he really is. If he refuses to comply and does something rash, I suggest you exploit your wand and wash his memory. He already has seen too much for a muggle mind…. he must know the truth" The voice hissed again.
"But, what exactly do I tell him. That he is of great importance to wizards, which he already hates…" Severus winced, pinching the bridge of his nose in a futile attempt to restrain a migraine, "He's catholic just like Father Donnellson…" he sighed, sinking into a red armchair. "…and bloody Catholics are some of the most unpleasant and opinionated people!"
"Yes I know…but he must know what he is, and he must accompany you to Hogwarts. Tell that fool Dumbledore that he's a relative of yours and that he's staying with you. I need access to him Severus…" his master urged.
"If he protests now, I'll still have to wipe his memory again later." Severus snapped, feeling the weight of this task getting heavier; he didn't sign up for bringing someone into his life for an extended period of time.
"If he continues to do so…I will deal with him…" Voldemort whispered malevolently. Severus' spine tingled.
"Very well master…" Severus sighed. Voldemort's torrid face disappeared from the flames, and the light in the room decreased slightly, leaving Severus alone with his thoughts, and his comfort at the bottom of his scotch glass.
Severus traipsed into the hall the next morning, having fallen asleep in his armchair the night before; now he really had a headache. He stumbled down the hall past the guest room that had only been used for death eaters on the run, which he had stuck Donovan in when he was knocked out. He was still unconscious, or at least asleep. The sunlight was pouring in onto Donovan's pale face, making his lucent skin glow slightly white. He was expressionless, and Severus knew that if had been conscious, the intense morning light would have been hurting his eyes. He sighed and shambled in, scratching the back of his neck as he drew the shades.
When he left and headed for the kitchen, his headache was pounding in his ears. He reached the kitchen and took one of his many neatly organized and labeled potions bottles from his cupboard and downed it, feeling his headache practically melt away where he stood. He contemplated having another glass of scotch, but thought better of it and decided to speed up Donovan's recovery, grabbing a second potion from the cupboard.
When he came back, Donovan was shifting slightly in his bed, rising drearily into a sitting position. Severus hastily closed the door behind him as Donovan's eyes focused in the dingy copperish light that was forcing itself through the old canvas shades.
"Good, you're awake." Severus said slowly, taking a seat at the edge of the bed. Donovan jumped, realizing where he was. He leaped up and backed away from Severus, a terrified expression on his face.
"Where am I…?" he hissed, looking around the room where his belongings had all been unpacked. Everything was slightly antique looking when it came to genre, but the quality of everything seemed brand new. His bible was arranged on his desk, along with his Walkman and other personal things. He could see his socks peeking out of a wardrobe on the far wall and his rosary was by his bed.
"My flat." Severus answered plainly.
"And what sorcery brought us here!?" Donovan trembled with spite. He didn't know what had happened, but this man, his 'father' was a genuine sinner; a wizard.
"Yes, you're right…sorcery did bring us here…because I am a wizard." Severus paused, "Just like you..."
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN JUST LIKE ME!?" Donovan yelled frantically. Severus sighed.
"Donovan, I need to tell you the truth…but you need to try and be calm…please sit back down." Severus asked, his voice wavering slightly in to his shrill professor's tone. Donovan shook his head rapidly.
"You can say what you need if I stand…out with then!" Donovan said with a stiff upper lip.
"Fine, since you want to get to business… I am not your father." he said, speaking pointedly, and rather coldly, so that his word would sink in, "I was instrusted to take care of you, but I am not your father a-"
"Wait, whoa, wait wait wait…if you're no' my father then who the hell are you!? And you still didn't answer my first question! And if you're no' my dad, then where more importantly WHO are my parents!?" Donovan cried his brain spinning. Severus sighed heavily.
"Your mother, she was a witch, like me, which means that the same magically apt blood flows through your veins. If we had known where you were, we would have claimed you far sooner then now." Severus said slowly, trying to calm down the frantic Donovan.
"No…no, you and all your kind are evil! I'll not submit to your witchery! I'm NOT a blasphemer! You're a liar! You're only saying these things to tempt me into evil!" Donovan barked, as if he was trying to protect himself from a threat that Severus was not making.
"Donovan, listen to me, I'm not asking you to be anything different then what you already are. I'm simply telling you your lineage…your mother, Larien Silimaurë, she was a witch, whether you accept it or not. The problem was, she never told anyone at the school I work at or the magical ministry or even her friends that she was pregnant, nonetheless where she was going. If the school had known about you, we would have documented your birth and taken you in at the age of 11, but we didn't." Severus said, still talking silkily and slowly.
"School!? You work at a school!?" Donovan screeched, his voice getting hoarse as his mouth dried up.
"Yes, a school for young witches and wizards."
"I don't believe this…" Donovan panted his eyes bulging and his rosary-wrapped hand quivering. "Why…why did you adopt me!? I want to go back to Murntown, NOW!" Donovan cried.
"I'm sorry, but that's not possible, we're in London." Severus sighed, "And I suggest you get used to the fact that I'm a wizard and you were meant to be as well. I use magic through out my day and you'll have to be able to cope with the 'sin' of it all if I'm going to be your guardian…"
"Oh, you're not going to be my guardian for long!!! I'm going to phone Father Donnellson right now and demand to come back, away from your greasy arse!!!" Donovan raged, looking around for a phone.
"I don't have a telephone…I don't need it…" Severus sighed, as Donovan tore apart the room, "Donovan…listen to me, please." Severus demanded his teeth gritting slightly, his patience wore thin as he got to his feet. Donovan whirled around from the dresser and staring at him wide eyed.
"What are you doing!? Get away!" he yelled, panting as small tears hung in his eyes.
"Listen…I am a sorcerer, you are a catholic. Neither one of our life styles will change for the other one, and neither one of us wants the other to change anyway, correct?" Severus asked in very lamans terms. Donovan nodded once rapidly. "Then understand this…you live with me, and I am a wizard. I live with you and you are a catholic. There is a boundary with you that I will not cross as long as you live here, and I do hope that you will respect that boundary as well. I am not asking you to change yourself, I just thought that after seventeen years you might like a few answers on your life and where you came from…Do not mistake me for pure evil, but rather understand that I was sent here to take care of you, and that it isn't my vision in life to dote over a hormonal teenager...it is far from it."
Donovan's chest started to slow into a normal breathing pattern.
"I don't know...you...you are not a pure person..." Donovan said, his body not as tense as before. He looked around the room.
"It's a long summer...you've never been out of Ireland before. Maybe I won't be as horrible…as "greasy" as you think I am. You can definitely amuse yourself somehow around the city if you want. But you can't leave now. I am responsible for you." Severus said, his face suddenly sterner then before. Donovan met his stare and thought on the past few weeks. He had pleaded with God to be taken away from the orphanage. Could this be the answer he had been waiting for? This stark man, he wasn't exactly the image of a father or even an uncle...but Donovan would need a place to stay for the summer if he was going to tour London, why not bunk with a guy that had a spacious house and what looked like a lot of money.
"Alright...but I won't participate in any witchcraft..." Donovan said, giving Severus a matching gaze. At this moment Donovan and Severus looked as if they could have actually been related, both unwavering views, and both with a heavy lidded stare.
Severus nodded and moved for the door, Donovan following.