Revert To Type
Disclaimer: I own little to nothing of what it is named/referred to and am making even less from it.
Chapter 19.
- There were only two ways that afternoon could have been spent as far as Remus figured. They could have argued, each bottling up their feelings about what had happened and then misdirecting their anger towards each other, or they could have turned to each other for comfort, sought refuge in a warm embrace. Never a pair to do anything by halves however – they had started off on one route and finished quite spectacularly on the other. Once the two officials, still carrying Anna, had disappeared from view behind the heavy wrought iron gates at the foot of the drive, Remus had gently urged Albus back inside. As soon as they were again ensconced in the schools entrance hall, Rose Sprout quickly bustled over.
"You go find Severus, he dashed off in that direction." She told him, gesturing in the direction of the stairs down into the dungeon. "I've had tea sent up to your rooms Albus, I thought maybe we could share a cup?" She suggested and the werewolf sent her a grateful look. Once he was certain that the Headmaster was going to be all right, or at least in good hands, he did as the Hufflepuff had suggested and went to track down the Potion Master.
- True to form the other man was in his dungeon study, immersed in a whirlwind of activity when Remus arrived. He knocked quietly on the open door but received no response so instead of entering the maelstrom, hung back watching with a sinking heart as Severus collected all the research he had done over the last few weeks and threw it into the empty grate. The sheaths and sheaths of parchment all of which were covered in the minute undecipherable scrawl, the uncountable notes that he had made in his attempt to find a way to return the woman, who he cared for more deeply than he might have liked to admit, to herself.
"Don't you want to keep those?" He asked as casually as he could manage.
"No."
"What if you decide to do some more research on a similar topic at some point?"
"I wont – and even if I did, this is all too specific and disordered." He said throwing another set of scrolls onto the pile.
"Disordered? That hardly sounds like you."
"Yes well –maybe I felt that for once haste was of more importance than being my usual anal-retentive self. Somehow if I ever went back I don't think I'd feel the same." With this last statement he grabbed his wand and set light to the pile.
"You always said that was what made you so good at your job – your complete disassociation of emotion when you were working. Maybe if you hadn't lost it then the most amazing man either of us has ever known wouldn't be upstairs being torn apart by the knowledge that the only person he has ever truly loved is as good as dead!" His anger had appeared out of no-where, bubbling up inside him and spilling forth before he could cap it.
"You can hardly disparage MY attempts at reversing the potion! After all you hardly had your nose to the grind-stone did you!?" Severus turned on him but after the initial outburst on both sides neither of them seemed to be able to find the ammunition or desire to take it any further. Remus watched as his partner played around with the piles of books that he had been buried in over the last few weeks. "Was he…?" The dark man began. "How did he…?" He tried again, unused to being so inarticulate.
"He's pretty cut up." Remus replied knowing what it was he was asking without him finding the words to say it out loud. "But he'll be ok, Rose is with him at the moment." He paused and then decided to say the next line of what had formed in his mind. "She sent me to find you. I think she knew that maybe that was what we both needed." He finished quietly, looking at the floor.
- He didn't look up at the sound of soft footsteps approaching but waited until Severus hand tilted his chin upwards, to meet his lover's gaze. There, he found an openness that he had rarely ever seen in the other man, and the rolling guilt and pain that he saw crashing in waves through the obsidian orbs sparked something deep within him. Just as easily as the anger had come, so did the tears and he could do nothing to prevent their silent fall down his face. Even as a he felt the slightly calloused thumbs wipe at his cheeks he didn't let his gaze wander, he held the other man's eye searching for answers he knew weren't there. He wasn't certain who it was that leaned forward first, who it was who touched the others lips first, but it seemed only natural. Before long Severus had him pressed up against the doorframe, urgent lips, urgent hands assaulting him; seeking skin, seeking comfort. He wound his hands through Severus' hair pulling him close, holding him tight, afraid somewhere deep down that he would loose him if he let go. The others man's need was just as great as his own and it was that need that seemed to drive them as they made their way from door to setae and eventually to the bedroom.
- When Remus awoke a few hours later, he found himself in a bourach of sheets and blankets but none the less alone. He rose and pulled on his boxers before shuffling into the bathroom. It didn't really surprise him that he found his partner standing with his back to him in the other doorway – staring blankly at the room where only a night before a young girl, who had had a disturbingly large effect on them, had been sleeping.
"It would be all too easy to forget about her." Severus said without turning around. "She's a child. A child who has the right to a life; a good one – I only hope that Fudge and his imbeciles remember that." Though Remus agreed whole-heartedly with the sentiment he wasn't sure what it was that had sparked this. The question was answered however as the other man turned around and held out the late edition of the Daily Prophet. He took it and the headline on the front page jumped out at him at once: Malfoy Prince Arrested in Relation to Gryffindor Head's 'Ceased Existence'. He skimmed through the text – noting with some disdain that the author was one R. Skeeter, and with even more that there was no mention of Anna at all until the very last line.
"After the initial trial, the Ministry will have to deal with the subsequent issue of who shall be charged with rearing the child known as individual 246.01- this reporter for one will be interested to see who would want to claim a three year old Scot known for her quick temper and unnatural power."
- Once the ball was rolling, it seemed that the system was working at 180 miles an hour. The following day saw news that the trial of Draco Malfoy was to begin the following Monday, allowing time for the authorities to further investigate the evidence. In this vain, the school was disrupted over the weekend by the extended presence of the Ministry Officials, taking further statements from students and staff. There was also the added disturbance of the stripping of Minerva's rooms, office and classroom of anything that was not stamped 'Property of Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry'. However, they did concede to school life somewhat by not calling for statements to be given in person. Whatever their reason for this, the verdict of the Jury, which was announced late on Tuesday evening, was really only what could be expected. The young man was declared guilty but judged not to be culpable, and was sent to a psychiatric hospital rather than Azkaban. Though the speed at which things were travelling had no-doubt several advantages, one of them was certainly not giving everyone a chance to adjust. Remus supposed however that the verdict would at least allow Albus a little closure.
- There was still the issue of Anna however, or whatever number it was that the Ministry were insisting on referring to her as. Her absence had been palpable over the last four days; Severus' quarters had been as quiet as ever, only instead of calming him the lack of noise and a third presence seemed to leave the former Death Eater nervous. He worried about the girl more though: at least with Severus he could be there, quietly in the background to keep an eye on him, there was no one there to look out for Anna. She was only a child, lost and scared and Remus had experience of the Ministry's treatment of people it deemed below them. He also suspected that Fudge's disdain for Minerva could quite possibly have a spectacular impact on the current situation and wandered what was in the future for her – where she would end up. Though he accepted that the hospital was a far better place for her than the beneath the Ministry but it could hardly be a long-term solution. It just wasn't healthy for a perfectly fit and well child to be locked up in St Mungo's for any length of time. When he had felt out the ground the previous day, he had been fairly certain that Albus wouldn't apply but he thought perhaps he could encourage Arthur and Molly to consider taking her on, they certainly had the experience…
- He was still mulling over that possibility the next evening as Severus and he sat marking homework in a heavy silence. The other man started slightly at the unexpected and unfamiliar knock on the door.
"Who's there?" He asked loudly enough to be heard on the other side of the heavy wood.
"It's Arthur. Arthur Weasley." Came the muffled reply. Remus stood and went to let him in, slightly bemused as to why he was there.
"Evening gentlemen." He greeted jovially coming inside. "Thought you might like to take a look at this." He continued and for the first time the Werewolf noticed that he was carrying something of a tomb with him.
"I should go check on the common room. Shouldn't be long." Severus said briefly before leaving them in a flurry of black.
Remus resisted the urge to sigh out loud.
"I'm sorry." He apologised and indicated that the other man should take a seat. "Can I get you some tea?" He asked, already conjuring the service. They sat in silence for a time, drinking their tea before the father of seven broke the silence.
"How are you doing?" The question shocked Remus a little.
"I'm worried." He admitted, "Worried about Albus, worried about Severus but more worried about Anna. At least I can do something for them, even if it's just to be there…" He paused and waited for a moment before carrying on. " I want to ask you a huge favour Arthur – well you and Molly…" Remus continued, looking up straight into the other man's eyes, hoping his passionate desperation would help Arthur to understand how deeply he cared about the answer he was about to receive.
"You know we would do anything to make this easier for you all." Came the quiet response. Remus took a deep breath.
"Would you consider applying for guardianship?" Remus was more than a little taken aback when Arthur began to chuckle quietly. He couldn't understand for the life of him what the other man found so amusing about the idea he had proposed mere moments ago.
"Is there a reason why you're seeking out competition for yourselves?" Arthur asked.
"Competition?" He queried only to see the other man grow solemn.
"I was… well… we were all assuming that the two of you would be applying for guardianship yourselves…"
A/N: nope not the end. Not by a long way. However I shall say no more for the time being. Hope you're still enjoying it and would love to hear what you think. Thanks to those of you who reviewed and if you haven't yet SHAME ON YOU –cough-
Next few weeks are kinda insane with uni work, so any updates are coming from the buffer –grin-
Thanks
Linds
xxx
