Disclaimer: See Chapter One
Uploaded: Tuesday March 1st 2005
Chapter Forty: InterventionSeverus was beyond beside himself with guilt, concern and anger. Guilt, for the fact that his niece had been left alone all day on Christmas. Concern, because she was nowhere to be found upon his return. Anger, because he hated being left out of the loop.
'At least I have an idea on what Estella was feeling all day' he admitted to himself gloomily.
He would have mounted a search for his truant niece, but for the simple fact he was desperate to delay the time where he would have to explain and apologise to the child for his absence and deal with her wrath. Somehow he just knew that wherever the child was, she was not in danger. Estella was much like himself, in that regard, he mused. For in a similar situation Severus knew he'd most likely run off to a far flung corner of the castle and brood – free of the claustrophobic confines of his quarters and without the risk of being bothered.
Yes, he had no doubt that Estella would return soon.
Merlin help them both when she did, though.
"Where in the Hell have you been?" Two startled voices snapped simultaneously. Under any other circumstances, the respective parties might have found their identical performances funny. This, however, was no time for mirth.
"I'm not talking to you." Estella said stubbornly, brushing past her Uncle forcefully as she stormed towards her room.
'You left me alone all day, then when you come back you don't even look for me!' Her inner voice was screaming, her little heart smashing into pieces.
"Estella…" Severus began, letting his previous question drop. It did not do to dwell on redundant issues at a time like this. Where she was didn't really matter for the time being. "Estella come back here."
Estella froze mid step and answered without turning around. "Why should I listen to you?" She asked coldly.
Severus sighed. "If you would cease your melodramatic tirade for five minutes I may have a chance to explain what happened today!" He said smarmily.
Turning on her heel, Estella crossed her arms defiantly across her chest and sneered at him, one eyebrow raised in expectation. "Clock's ticking."
Momentarily speechless by how much like him Estella was being right at that moment, Severus collected himself and leant back on the arm of his armchair for support. "Would you care to take a seat?" He said, gesturing to a chair congenially.
"I'd rather stand." Estella said shortly.
"Have you eaten then?" Severus asked, stalling. "Would you like a hot drink before bed?"
Estella looked at him thoughtfully. "I'd like a little known brew called 'quit stalling'" She said dryly, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Narrowing his eyes, Severus pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. He really couldn't blame her for her attitude – not at a time like this – but it still grated him to have her speak to him in such a way. "I'll get straight to the point, then." Severus said firmly, barely containing his baser instinct to correct Estella on her tone. "One of the Slytherin students who had remained at the school over the holidays was gravely ill in the night and I had to accompany him to St Mungos and stay there all day as his housemaster and assigned school guardian until his parents could be contacted and return from their holiday abroad to claim him."
Having said this, Severus looked to Estella for any sign of her understanding. There was none, so he continued. "When I was summoned to the Slytherin dorms in the early hours of the morning I did not realise that the matter was quite as serious – or time consuming – as it was. If I did I would have most assuredly left you a note and made alternate arrangements for you for the day."
Seeing no change in Estella's cold hard exterior, he sighed. "I tried to floo here, you know." He said accusingly. "You weren't by some chance throwing wrapping paper in the fire, were you?" He asked, recalling his niece's habit and smiling inwardly when he saw her eyes widen momentarily in some semblance of a reaction. "I'll take that as a yes, mmm?"
Estella's eyes continued to bore into him unforgivingly. Severus couldn't stand her silence, it was driving him insane. "When I couldn't contact you I tried to contact another staff member." Severus explained. "But no one was in their quarters to answer my call. Then I was called away from the flooing point by one of the student's healers and I didn't get a chance to get away again. I could only hope that one of my colleagues had sense to check on you in my stead and take you to the feast… or that you would ignore what I said earlier and take yourself."
'Uh oh.' Severus thought as he saw the murderous expression on Estella's face. 'Wrong thing to say!'
"Oh, so I guess it's all my fault then!" Estella snapped angrily. "That I thought you were still punishing me for consorting with Gryffindors and nearly blowing your cover! You didn't let Remus come over because of that! What was I supposed to think? Huh?"
Severus blanched, running a hand over his face wearily as he cursed himself.
"Oh I know!" Estella chirped with mock enthusiasm. "Maybe I was supposed to think the school had been attacked and you had been detained by, oh, I don't know, death!"
The man in question sighed wearily. He had some work to do if he ever had a chance in hell in making it up to his niece.
"But nooooooo." Estella wagged her finger. "You had to go be a good teacher and tend to your sick student and forget all about me!" She shouted with no amount of hidden resentment. "But it's all my fault! How could I forget! It's all my fault that I was left here alone when I could have been with my Godfather who would never ever do something so… so… so…"
"Estella." Severus said softly as the child's voice trailed off. "I can't tell you how sorry I am for this misunderstanding."
His audience snorted. "'Misunderstanding?'" She shrieked incredulously. "That's what you're calling it? Well I don't know Uncle Sev, but for what it's worth, you ought to be congratulated."
"What for?" Severus asked, stunned, before he could think.
Estella glared daggers at him. "For making me realise what Christmas would have been like had I never left that place." She said in dangerously low tones, spitting out her reference to the Asylum. Then, before Severus could even open his stunned mouth to reply, Estella had spun on her heel and closed the distance between her and her room, entering it and slamming the door behind her. "Merry Christmas!" A muffled voice shouted sarcastically from behind the closed door.
Severus fell back ungraciously onto his chair and cursed. If he thought his tension migraine was bad, it was nothing compared to the daggers that were piercing the centre of his chest right at that moment.
What had he done?
The rest of the Christmas break was torture for Severus. First thing the morning after Christmas, Estella had spent half the morning with her head in the floo, spilling her heart out in hushed tones with her goddamn Godfather. As curious as he was to know what was going on in his niece's mind, he knew better than to try and listen in, and so he had retreated to his private laboratory. All he could surmise, however, was that whatever Estella had told her interfering wretch of a confidante, it was enough to have the damn werewolf floo into his quarters and storm into his laboratory with a uncharacteristically feral look on his face.
The latest full moon must have been blue, for Remus Lupin was pissed.
"At what point did you not think to contact me and have me check on Estella?" Remus growled, barely containing himself. "I know we have issues, Severus, but I didn't realise you could be so selfish."
Severus, his skin a considerable amount of shades paler, opened his mouth to retort but was cut off by a dangerously close Lupin, who had closed the gap between them to stand eye-to-eye with his foe. "No, Severus. I have not finished." The feral wolf snapped. "It tore my heart out not to see or speak to Estella over Christmas, but I respected your method of disciplinary measures. I did not think it was fair – depriving a child of a loved one over the holiday – but I trusted that you knew what you were doing and that no harm would be done." He paused. "I can't help but feel accountable, for if I hadn't been so foolish in pledging my loyalties and I would contacted Estella irrespective of your wishes and this incident could have been averted."
The werewolf took a few steps back and ran a shaking hand through his hair. A hand that was shaking with barely suppressed anger. "Just so you don't worry" He said snidely "Though you hardly deserve the courtesy" A breath. "I've sent Estella through the floo to London. She will be spending the remainder of the Christmas break with me. Don't even suppose you are in any position to question me on this, Severus. Just be thankful I am here to clean up after your mess."
The darker-haired man finally got the opportunity to speak. "You can't do that. I forbid it." He said obstinately, clutching at straws. "She is my niece, Lupin!" He spat. "Mine! You – you – you just can't waltz in here and take her!"
Remus Lupin narrowed his eyes at his counterpart. "Do you remember the night you brought Estella back from Azkaban?" The sandy haired man asked quietly. "Do you recall what we discussed?"
Severus nodded.
"Consider this my intervention." The weary werewolf replied simply. "She needs some time away from you to regain her perspective. The poor child doesn't know what to think of you anymore, Severus. Her whole little world is crumbling around her and I am here to offer her the last piece of stability she has left to build from."
"Fine." Severus said quietly after a few moments thought. "If you think it will help things, you may have her for the rest of the Christmas break."
Lupin nodded, turned and headed for the door. "Oh Severus," he said as an afterthought, turning back around to face the man briefly. "I really wasn't asking your permission."
"I didn't expect you were." Severus sighed finally, talking to an empty room.
End Chapter Forty: Intervention