A/N: Do not own. Sorry this took so long but it is extra long so...There is no Harry, Teddy, or Karrie scenes here but this is a far-reaching guardian story. Meaning it focuses on more than just those three. I know, I know. You'll get Harry/Teddy/Karrie next chapter, I promise. Translations are at the bottom as needed. Fair warning, there is liberal use of a stinging spell and the brief swatting of an older teenager here. But it was necessary and although I hate to repeat myself, this will not become a corporeal punishment fic. So read, enjoy. Plenty of Alexis and Severus here. X's are scene breaks, italics are usually thoughts. I apologize for the rambliness of this note... I blame the antibiotics.

~Case

-x-

"I thought I'd find you here."

She glanced up from her study of the distant sun rising over the lake, gray eyes finding the damn man almost instantly. "Tim. Shouldn't you be asleep?" The sun had not quite risen yet, the pink just reaching over the horizon now. She had been out here for...a while now, on this chilly Sunday morning. The children were all in their beds, the wards were intact and her chest felt heavy. So much to do in so little time, and now this. The threats, the grief, the pain. She only wanted to take care of these children, to guide and teach them, to forget her past. But she knew she couldn't just forget, couldn't just let go.

"Shouldn't you?" He retorted quietly, coming to stand beside her. The young woman had circles under her eyes, even with the glamour, and he knew she had not slept yet. The children would be up in a few hours and they would have to work once more, because children needed constant care and love. There was no days off here, even if there was a bit of free time. He wouldn't take a day off anyway; it was his love to help children, the reason he was alive. Currently, the one who needed him stood beside him with stony gray eyes and folded arms, shivering in the cold.

"I...couldn't. I'm fine, Tim. Just...brauche Zeit." She sighed, eyes staring off over the horizon once more. She could have seen all of this from the walkway around her tower, more actually, but she had needed the walk, just as she needed time. Time to think, time to breathe, time to just...feel.

" Die Zeit heilt alle Wunden." He quoted softly, resting a hand on her shoulder. It was an old proverb, one that was on the wall of his old mentor, when he had been just an apprentice. That had been years ago, but the saying still held truth.

"Nein. No. Time doesn't heal all. We just like to think it does." Alexis scowled, turning to look at him. She glanced toward the castle with a sigh, the children would be waking up soon and there were two in her quarters who needed her.

He just shook his head, following her gaze. "Shall we?" He inquired softly, keeping a steadying hand on her shoulder.

She gave a brisk nod, starting back up the path toward the castle. If nothing else was clear to her, on this Sunday morning, she knew that she was not alone and she didn't have to handle this alone. The threats, the grief, or the headache of getting fifty children to Diagon Alley for school supplies...thankfully, she still had a few weeks before that trip was needed. But still, she couldn't run this school alone and she wasn't quite sure how Dumbledore had. Perhaps that was part of the reason why Hogwarts was in such bad shape. But not for much longer, because these children came first and so did their education. They would make this school better, or she would die trying.

-x-

Alexis bit back a sigh, surveying the two boys who sat in front of her desk. Elijah and Derek...it was not the first time either boy had been in her office for fighting, but it was the first time for fighting each other. Well...she really didn't want to think about what had almost happened at breakfast, in front of the younger children. Merlin! "Explain, now." She ordered softly, dangerously. Neither boy looked at her. Derek was glaring at her desk and Elijah was staring at his sneakers, bouncing his leg up and down. She had already checked each teenager for injuries; they had been lucky, this time. Neither of the hexes hit and Henry had been close enough to throw up a shield to protect the younger children. She had sent the boys to her office and taken the walk up here to calm down. Someone could have been seriously hurt. Both boys were prone to hitting first, not hexing. It was...odd.

"It was his fault, Professor." Derek mumbled finally, not looking up at her. He hoped she would actually believe him, because it had been Elijah's fault. The other boy had provoked him! Well...alright, he had hexed first, but still. His father had taught him to strike first and he never would have spoken back to his father, not as Elijah had to him. He would have been beaten. But did that make him right? Because Henry said that his father had not been right and his healer, Lucas, had agreed. But maybe they were wrong and his father had the right of it? He wasn't sure anymore and the Professor looked pissed at them.

"Elijah? Tell me what happened please." She requested finally, frowning at the bigger blond for a moment before turning her eyes back to Elijah. She knew that both boys had a temper, and Elijah's was often volatile, but that did not excuse their actions.

The brown-haired child bit his lip, twisting his hands about for a moment. She wouldn't believe him, no one ever did. He peaked up for a brief moment and caught her eyes for a second. She was clearly displeased with them but when her eyes met his they had soften, just a bit. He trusted the Headmistress, she was always kind to him, even when he lashed out at someone. He hadn't lashed out this time, nor did he start it. "Derek was saying...things, Professor. Robert told him to stop but he just sneered at him and then I...snapped at him to stop being such a dick. So he tried to hex me and I hexed back." Elijah grimaced, shaking his head. It had been instinct to react by hexing back. The same instinct that made him go on the defensive when he was beaten. But he wouldn't be beaten here, he knew that. He also knew that he was very lucky that his hex hadn't hit. He had cast the first spell to pop into his mind, a bone-vanishing hex. The headmistress would have been very...unhappy with him. Hell he would have been unhappy with himself. He was no bully and he didn't like to hurt others, he just reacted sometimes. Much like the idiot boy beside him. He, however, knew that what his father had done to him had been wrong, abuse. The other teenager just seemed to spout what he had heard his whole life. Idiot.

She nodded slowly, turning her eyes back to Derek. From what she had seen, that fit quite well. Although it had happened fast, Derek had been the one to draw first; she had noticed that from her seat, but she had been hoping the boys would be honest with her. Well, at least one of them was. "Derek? What sort of things were you saying?" She questioned, raising an eyebrow when the child merely shrugged at her. "Mr. Ralon, when I ask you a question I expect a verbal answer." She added silkily. Elijah was fidgeting in his seat, knowing that tone she was using. Alexis was quickly reaching the end of her patience with the blond.

"Yes ma'am." Derek grumbled, kicking his feet for a moment. If he told her what he said, he knew she wouldn't be happy. Henry kept getting on him for saying such things, but he didn't understand why! His father had said them, after all, so they must be true. They must! But she was just going to get angry if he didn't tell her. Either way, she'd be mad at him and he didn't want her to be mad at him. She was scary when she was angry. "You'll be angry." He answered finally, glancing up at her with a gulp.

She bit back a sigh, resting her hands on the top of the desk. Standing imposingly only worked for so long, after all. Besides that, she didn't need the boys to be afraid of her. With that in mind she moved to a clear space and sat on the edge of her desk, gray orbs focused on the two boys in front of her. "Perhaps I will be displeased and disappointed, Derek. But I will never harm you, no matter how upset your words make me. I will never harm either of you." She reassured quietly, softer this time. She caught Elijah's eyes for a moment and the child nodded, showing that he understood, before turning back to Derek.

He hesitated, biting the inside of his cheek for a moment before giving a slight nod. He believed her, even if he never would have believed his father, if the man had said such things. He wouldn't have, of course, but that didn't matter so much anymore. "I said...that the fairies and the cocksuckers were..bad." He mumbled, flushing slightly. Perhaps his phrasing was a bit, quite a bit, more offensive, but he knew better than to repeat those words in front of her, lest his mouth be washed out.

Elijah grunted, shaking his head. That was not what the other boy had said, not exactly. But then, he knew why the other boy wouldn't want to say them. Hell, he didn't want to say them. Those words made his face burn and he didn't even understand a few of them!

"I take it, it was a bit worse than that, yes? I do get the gist, however." She shook her head, not quite sure what to do with the child yet. She couldn't let this continue any longer but she wasn't sure that the child wasn't just repeating words he had heard before; had been into him, most likely. "Elijah, do you remember where the sitting room is?" She asked suddenly, turning her gaze back to the skinnier child. The boy blinked but gave a hesitant nod, glancing toward the closed door to her quarters. The child had been in there enough this week, he'd been in her office nearly every day for one reason or another, and often she ended up taking him to her quarters for tea. "Go wait for me, please. We will be having a discussion as soon as I have a private word with Derek." She ordered quietly.

Elijah grimaced, knowing very well that this discussion would involve him getting yet another lecture on his temper...hopefully she didn't know which spell he had cast, but he doubted that. She knew everything. He stood slowly, warily, but at her gentle nod and the light grip on his shoulder, he vanished through the doorway and onto the couch he so often sat on. And now the part he hated, the waiting.

"Tell me Derek, where did you learn these words?" She asked finally, after several moments of tense silence.

He grimaced, paling slightly. "My father."

"Do you believe them to be true?"

"My father said them, so they must be. Right?" He bit his lip, shrugging slightly. He didn't really know. Did he believe those words were mean? Yes, but he had heard them forever. Did he believe that...gays were bad? He wasn't sure. He only knew two. Professor Snape and his partner, Professor Lupin. Professor Snape was a difficult man but he had never been unkind to him. And Professor Lupin treated all the students well. He even gave him chocolate when he found him upset in the corridor one day. He didn't know what he believed, but he knew what his father had taught him and his father's word was law. Right?

"No Derek. It doesn't work that way child. I asked if you believed them, not your father." She replied gently, tapping her fingers twice against the desk. A tray with a mug of hot chocolate popped into the room. Minzi always knew what she needed. She offered the mug to the child, who took it slowly.

He fiddled with the mug for a moment, taking a careful sip of it. The chocolate warmed his stomach and calmed his nerves. He wasn't quite sure why it helped it think clearly, but it did. "I..I don't know, Professor." He responded quietly, flushing slightly. He didn't know what he believed anymore, not at all. Because who could he believe? His father? Or his counselors? Or perhaps he should just believe himself, what he thought to be true. That didn't mean he was right and it didn't mean he could change and learn new things, but wasn't it better to believe his own thoughts than to follow blindly? Isn't that what Lucas had tried to say?

She could see the understanding dawning in the child's eyes, the realization that not everything he was told would be the truth. That was a good step, at least. "You have to form your own opinions, Derek. You cannot allow someone else to form those opinions for you. I know it is difficult to break away from your upbringing, but you must try. You are not your father and your father is not here. You do not have to treat others badly because of his opinions, nor for his approval. I want you to think about it, alright? This is my assignment for you. Think about what you believe and what you know to be true. Write an essay on it, you have until next Sunday." She stated briskly, waiting until he had finished the chocolate drink.

"Yes Professor." He murmured, standing slowly. That didn't really sound like a punishment but he was perfectly fine with that.

"A moment, Derek." She called, forcing down a sigh when the child turned back toward her. "This bullying must stop now, understand? For the fight, you are restricted to your bunk room for the rest of the day, not including meals. I also want a list of the words you used and their meanings, as well as lines, by tomorrow afternoon."

He grimaced but nodded. It was fair, after all. "What are the lines, Professor?"

"Let's try 'I will stop calling others names'. Fifty times, please." She gave a nod of dismissal and the child bolted out the door. Alexis groaned, running her hand through her hair for a moment. She still had to speak with Elijah. With that thought she stood, stalking into the other room. The teenager startled briefly when she appeared but said nothing. "Did you know what the spell you cast would do?" She asked softly, her tone dangerous. His answer would define his own consequences. She hoped to the gods that he had not, but she doubted that.

Elijah shifted restlessly for a moment, staring at the floor. She did not sound happy and he knew it would only get worse. Because he had known but he hadn't meant to cast that spell. It just...happened. "Yes ma'am." He whispered finally, digging his fingers into the couch.

She took a deep breath, pacing the room for a few tense moments. He had knowingly cast a spell that could have been fatal, could have hit a bystander. The spell vanished bones and damaged tissue, a healers spell for removing crushed bones to regrow healthy ones usually. But as a curse and used by a teenager, someone without the knowledge to control the spell, without the precision, the curse could have easily vanished tissue or organs that were essential, like part of a lung. She had seen such mistakes happen before and it was not a pretty sight. Derek could have been killed; the child might be a bully but that wasn't a reason to cast such a spell! She forced herself to calm down, finally moving a straight-back chair and sitting down a few feet in front of the child. Damn it. She could see the fear in his eyes, fear that she would turn from him or not care for him, which she wouldn't. She just wasn't quite sure what to do yet. "Explain." She ordered quietly, leaning forward and resting her hands on her knees.

He gulped, closing his eyes for a moment. What was he suppose to say? If he told her the truth, it would just cause more problems. He didn't like it when she looked at him like that, it never boded well. She was disappointed and angry and he hated that. He hated causing her to be angry at him. He had only wanted to make the other boy shut up! And so he had cast. He shook his head finally, trembling slightly.

"I don't think you understand the consequences if that spell would have hit, Elijah. You could have killed him or one of the other children. He may be a bully, but no one deserves that type of death. You would have ended up in a juvenile facility, because the ministry would have considered you dangerous and there would have been little we could have done. As it is, you are in a lot of trouble. I need you to talk to me, Elijah. Trust me to help you." She remarked after a moment, gray eyes intently watching this boy. She was not lying to him. The ministry would have deemed him unreachable and tried to remove him from Hogwarts and her care. She would have been able to fight it but it wouldn't have done much good. Accidents happened, yes, but was it an accident? She wasn't sure. The child was not malicious nor was he a bad kid. He was a good kid, just a hurting one.

He took a shaky breathing, nodding slowly. She needed to know the truth, even if she hated him for it. "I didn't mean to cast it. But it was the first spell to run through my mind and I wanted him to shut up. I didn't want to hurt him professor! I cast it but I pushed it toward the ground so that it wouldn't hit anyone. I just...I was angry. I'm sorry, professor." His voice cracked and he flushed, eyes darting up to her before back to the floor.

Alexis blinked, arching a brow at the child. He had pushed it to the floor? That explained a lot then. So perhaps not an accident, but a show of force. It was also a show of actively trying not to harm someone, the first time this young man had showed that. But they needed to work on his control, especially if he just cast the first spell to enter his mind, "You must control that temper or it will land you in serious trouble." She sighed when he merely flushed, for she did know what it was like to have a volatile temper. She also remembered quite clearly how Tim had reigned hers in. Meditation, talking it out, and a liberal use of stinging spells. Plus a memorable trip over the man's knees when she had attacked someone...again. But that had been years before, when she was much younger. Alright, she had been a few years older than the young man in front of her, and perhaps it wasn't that long ago but still.

"I'm trying, Alexis. I really am." He relaxed a bit, now that the anger was gone from her tone. She sounded concerned and disappointed, but not angry. Which wasn't that surprising, if he thought about it. She wasn't really ever that angry at them, just upset that they had been so stupid. Because she cared, which was still a bit odd feeling and he wasn't sure he would ever get used to it, but he did like being cared for and about. It made him feel like he was worth something, instead of worthless like his father had always said.

"I know you are. However, if I ever find out that you cast that spell again, at anyone, or any other fatal spell, you will go over my knee. I expect you to think through your actions before doing them. I know that is difficult in fights and duels, but you should not reach for your darkest curses first." She scolded, smirking when the child flushed red. She would do it too. Stinging spells were good for much with older teens, and some adults, but there were situations where graver consequences were needed. Two, really. Putting one's life needlessly in danger and endangering someone elses. Hopefully, this child would at least try to think before he acted. "You are grounded to these quarters until Tuesday. I will teach you mediation this evening, I believe Bain will probably join us. You also owe me an essay, on what you could have done differently." She added quietly. The child grimaced but nodded. He knew it was fair. She pulled the child into a hug, to let him know that she really wasn't upset anymore, before directing him to one of the spare bedrooms. When the Castle made Teddy's room, it added several other rooms that could be used for guests or misbehaving students. Which was great for times like this. It was already becoming a very long day and she knew it would just get longer, but hopefully without any more fights.

-x-

The wards in his private lab was going off. It was Sunday, as per Remus' orders he was forgoing brewing to spend time with his partner and their wards. But the wards were going off. Severus growled, stalking toward the door. He knew who he would find inside, as only a few people knew where his private lab was and only one had regular access to it. But he had warned the boy about brewing alone, to at least let him know if he was going to be brewing. He opened the door carefully, raising the wards back up before turning sharp eyes on the young man standing over a cauldron, brewing. No. Throwing ingredients into the cauldron with no precision or sense of purpose. The anger rolling off of the boy was palpable. He swore under his breath, casting a stinging spell and throwing a shield around the cauldron. Half a second later, the boy yelped, spinning to face him and dropping a handful of monkshood. Damn it. "Start talking. Now." He snarled, taking a deep breath to calm his nerves back down.

Bain growled under his breath, shifting from foot to foot for a moment. That damn spell hurt! He knew he wasn't suppose to brew angry but it helped calm him down sometimes. And he just, didn't care. Didn't care if it exploded, or if he got hurt, or anything. Not right now anyway. "Just brewing, sir." He snapped, not even bothering to try to be respectful although he knew he would regret it later. Because he liked Severus and the man treated him fairly, treated him like he was one of his children sometimes. He knew many masters were cruel to their apprentices, but Severus was good to him. Except for that blasted spell. Damn man.

"What exactly were you brewing?" He inquired silkily, arching a brow at the child. When the boy paled and refused to meet his eyes, he growled. "Bain!" He had warned the child about experimenting alone! Didn't the boy care about his own safety? Did he even know what Alexis would do to him if something happened to the teenager? She'd kill him and then Filius would be giving them both that disappointed look, the one that was usually followed by a swift stinging spell.

"What?" He scowled, glaring at the wall. He did remember the man's threats after all but...he didn't care. There was too much noise in his mind and he had needed to drown it out, to focus on brewing. Perhaps trying to experiment on a potion while he wasn't in his right mind wasn't the best idea, but what was the worse that could happen, really?

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes and counting to ten. "Corner. Now." He hissed, onyx eyes snapping up to bore into the younger man. The boy glared at him and huffed, folding his arms over his chest. "One...two.." The boy stomped to the corner, glaring at him once more before turning toward the wall. "You will cease this childish behaviour this instant." Severus growled, turning and pacing the length of the room. He counted in his head, in Russian, to force himself to calm down. There was no need to overreact but he did need to get to the bottom of this. To find out why this young man was acting so out of character. Bain was never this rude or disrespectful, the anger he could feel from the child was still very strong. Two years ago, Bain would have acted like this, did act like this actually. And he had ended up using stinging spells to get through that anger, so that he could talk to the child without being hexed. The teenager had only done that once and he knew that he never would again. He better not because he would follow through on his threats for that one. This time? Well he wasn't sure, just yet. He needed to know what caused this first.

Bain folded his arms over his chest, digging his fingers into his arms. He gritted his teeth, closing his eyes for a moment. He didn't want to think, he didn't want to talk. He just wanted to brew...or to hit something. His nostrils flared and he kicked at the wall, freezing when a strong hand landed on his shoulder.

"Enough Bain. Enough." He intoned softly, biting back a sigh when the child jerked away. He had already banished the mess of a potion and he knew the younger man needed to get control of his temper and his magic now, before he exploded something or hurt himself. "Let's go to my office." He ordered finally, stepping back so that the young man could leave the corner. He placed his hand back on the boy's shoulder, leading him through a doorway and down a short hall before holding open the door to his well warded office. Even if the child lost control of his magic here, he could do little damage. He had spells in-woven into the very walls for just this purpose; this was also where he taught students to mediate and control their emotions. He gestured with his hand, twitching his lips and nodding briskly when the desk and chairs neatly moved themselves against one wall. He glanced at the couch and it scooted back further, leaving a large portion of the carpeted floor clear. He finally turned back to the young man, raising an eyebrow.

Bain huffed but sat carefully down. He had hated this when he was younger but he knew it would calm him. It always did. He shifted uncomfortably, eyes darting after the pacing man. He was always fascinated by Severus' use of old magic and spells, something that Alexis tended toward as well. He knew many magicals had drifted away from the old ways but he had found that the old ways were still very powerful, that magic was an almost sentient being that deserved his respect and gratitude. The older man had walked a large circle around them thrice, his fingers outstretched and splayed, his lips moving silently. He waited until the man came to a stop in the middle again and sat down across from him, before speaking. "I'm fine, we don't have to do this." Well, perhaps he was whining but he really didn't care. The frown from the older man made him squirm a bit more but what really hit him was the worried in those dark eyes. It made his stomach feel a little warm but it didn't vanish his anger. If anything, it made him angrier, because now he felt guilty for causing the damn man to worry! Ugh!

He arched a brow, sneering slightly at the child. If he was fine then he would eat a tin of lemon drops. His heart pinged a little at that thought, because...Albus. But although the man had once mentored him, when he was first teaching, and had found him help, the man had also done nothing to help the hurting children under his care unless he had no other choice. So while part of him grieved for the man, the other part knew that the children would be safer, healthier, and happier with him gone. If only it wasn't such a permanent gone. But that was neither here or there, as the boy across from him needed him now. He could do nothing for Dumbledore now, but he could, and would, help this child. Even if it did involve sitting on the floor of his office knowing that his bones would hurt later. Momentary discomfort was not of import. It never was when there was a child who needed him. "We do. Now, close your eyes."

He grumbled under his breath for a moment but obeyed. He scrunched up his face briefly, hating not being able to see what was around him but he knew Severus would not harm him.

"Good boy. Deep breath in." He silently counted to five, his own eyes closed. "Breathe out." He waited again, listening to the sounds of the child. He could feel the boy's magic slipping back under wraps. "In."

Bain took another breath, focusing his mind only on breathing. With each breath in, he tugged his magic back to his centre. He breathed out, letting the negative emotions go with it. He understood the need for the circle, to keep his magic and emotions from spilling too far out. It kept his magic in and outside influences out, which was probably a good thing. There had been a time or two, when he was younger, when his grasp on his magic had completely slipped. He let the calm settle into his centre, listening to the soft cues from Severus.

It took about fifteen minutes for the child's magic to be completely under his control and for his anger to dissipate a bit but they had gotten there. "Now child, I want you to find the trigger to your anger. Locate it in your centre and isolate it." He opened his eyes to study the teenager for a moment, waiting until he was sure the boy had managed the task. It was a bit difficult for beginners but Bain wasn't a beginner. Two years of working with the child on controlling his temper and they were finally at a place where the boy trusted him enough to actually close his eyes. "Done?" A slight nod, eyes still closed, was his answer. This was always the hard part, no matter how long one had been practicing this particular method of meditation, and mindhealing even. "Good. Could you describe the trigger for me?" He requested, still keeping his tone gentle, soothing.

Bain frowned, focusing on the reason for his anger in the first place. The image rose up in his mind once more but he didn't fight it this time; he just kept himself emotionally distant from it, so that he could view it with objectivity. "A letter." He paused, fighting to keep himself away from the emotions that had got him into this mess in the first place. Anger and hurt...but he could ignore them. He would ignore them. "From my brother."

He blinked, furrowing his brows. He knew his apprentice had an older brother and that the other boy was non-magical, but Bain had never spoken much about him. "Could you tell me about the letter?"He requested softly, keeping his tone to the soft, breeziness still.
He hesitated, forcing his heart to still. Bain took a deep breath and released it, letting his brother's words come back to him. "He apologized. For leaving me, for never trying to get custody of me. He had thought that father would not harm me and that I would be safer with them. But I wasn't. He left me!" He burst forth, fighting to keep his anger and pain inside.

"Centre yourself, Bain." Severus instructed softly, feeling the young man's magic trying to pull free once more. He waited a moment before pushing onwards again. "Why did this letter send you into such a rage?" He questioned. It was important for the younger man to reach these conclusions and thoughts himself, to find the answers for himself; it also helped to release the anger, just by speaking about what made him angry. Of course he knew that the red-headed would argue with him, but no one liked the exercise when it was their emotions and thoughts they had to wade through.

He grimaced, shaking his head. He really didn't want to go there, he didn't want to talk about it. He hated talking, it made everything feel real once more. If he just ignored it, it didn't hurt as much...well, eventually it would overwhelm him and that was why he had such bad nightmares sometimes, but still. Speaking about it was difficult, so very hard. But he trusted Severus and he knew that the older man would listen without judging, would guide him to where he needed to be, and wouldn't let any harm come to him. He took a shaky breath, biting his lip for a moment before reigning his magic back in and letting his heart calm. He could do this. "I...He wants to see me. He said he wouldn't contest Alexis adopting me but that he wants to see me, talk with me. I haven't seen my brother since I was seven, Professor. Seven. And now he wants to see me? Now that I'm not being beaten regularly? Now that I don't have to fear leaving my room? Now that I don't have to fight to survive the summers?Why now? Why?!" He gasped, his eyes burning with unshed tears.

"Perhaps your brother has a reason, Bain. But he might not. Meeting with him might be good for you, it might help you let go of some of this anger toward him. You do not have to answer him now and you do not have to see he if you wish. But know this, whatever you choose, you are not alone. I will be here to help you through this, as will Alexis. You are safe child. Just let it out." Severus stated softly, reaching out to rest a gentle hand on the boy's ankle. He felt the boy's magic push out once before it was drawn back in and blue eyes flew open, tears silently running down his face.
He let his emotions out, he had to. He was safe here. He could be angry here, but he wasn't angry anymore. These were not tears of anger; no, these were tears of pain. Bain hesitated for a moment, blinking rapidly, before launching himself into the open arms of his master. It didn't matter to him that they were still seated on the floor; it didn't even matter that he was seventeen, a man in their world. All that mattered was that those strong arms wrapped around him and held him, murmuring reassurances into his ears.

He held the teenager until he had calmed down, finally arching a brow at the boy. "Better?" He gave a half-smile when redden eyes met his, tear tracks dried on his cheeks.

"Yes sir. Thank you." Bain whispered, pulling back slowly.

Severus waved it off, standing and pacing the circle thrice, counterclockwise this time. He thanked the magic and the elements, letting the peace of the magic fill him for a moment before stopping to face the teenager. He reached down a hand and pulled the child to his feet, and directly into his arms. He hugged the boy, this time a bit more comfortably and at a less awkward angle, letting the peaceful magic that filled him pass on to the child.

He closed his eyes, accepting the ancient magic into his own. It was almost like a calming feed but more...intense. This magic felt wonderful against his own, wrapping him in a tight hug before it dissipated. "Can you teach me that?" He queried, eyes wide with wonder. He knew the magic passed to him because of their bond as Master and Apprentice, just as Alexis could pass the powerful magic to him as his guardian. It was not magic he could keep as it had to return to the world around them, but it was wonderful to even feel the intense bits of magic for a moment.

He laughed, a deep rumbling from his stomach that rose up and out of his mouth. Bain merely grinned at him cheekily, eyes glinting with joy for a brief minute. Magic, pure and simple magic, could cause that bliss he knew. He knew that well. When his master had started teaching him, he had been so drawn to the magic, to the rituals and ways of worship. His master had passed on the rituals to honour the Goddess and the deep understanding of magic. He would gladly do that same. "Of course I can, child. In a few weeks. You have to have a grip on your temper and a mind open to learning the necessary rituals." He replied with a snort, knowing that the first would be much harder than the latter. The problem with children raised in the non-magical world, the main problem, was that they did not know nor understand where their magic actually came from. They were not raised with the prayers and rituals that the majority of pure-blooded children were. Some, of course, called the rituals dark but they were not. Religion, in the magical world, was as diverse and accepted as sexuality. There were the children raised with the Gods and Goddesses, of course, and then there were child raised to believe in only one God, or raised to believe in nothing. Those were always the hardest to teach, those who believed in nothing, who didn't really care about where their magic came from nor did they respect their magic as they should. Severus knew he would have to teach the child about the Gods and Goddesses first, about magic itself, before he could even begin to teach him how to cast a simple circle or perform any ritual. The child would be participating in one, of course, as his blood adoption would be a ritual to solidify the bond between him and Alexis but that was much different from performing a personal ritual or a Yule ritual. The child had much to learn, much that he could teach him since he was so open to learning, but first there was a few simple matters to deal with.

Bain grimaced when the older man pulled back slightly and he was turned to the side. The three hard smacks to his still slightly sore bottom caused him to wince. He knew the man was going easy on him, this time. He also knew that he wouldn't be so lax the next time. He swore then, to himself, to never let there be a next time. The stinging spells were enough; he would be mortified to be put over the damn man's knee because he broke his top rules again. Because he knew that would hurt worse than any stinging spell, not just the pain of the smacks either. But the disappointment would hurt so much worse than any spanking ever could. He had been over the man's knee once before, when he was younger, and once was more than enough.

He turned the child again, glad to have that part taken care of. He hated disciplining children like that but he also did not make idle warnings. And he knew his old master would have been much harsher if he had done the same as Bain had. Had been much harder on him, actually, because he had done something similar when he was younger. And although it had worked for him, he did not like the heavy-handed approach with his children. Instead, he rather they thought about their behaviour and figured out what was wrong with it, so that they wouldn't do something so foolish again. "Now, I require an essay on what you were brewing, why randomly throwing ingredients into the cauldron is bad, and what could have gone wrong by tomorrow evening. I also want lines: 'I will not brew while angry because I could easily make a mistake and become injured' two hundred times. By in the morning. And, because you have so much to write for me, you are grounded until Tuesday morning, which means?"

"No experimental brewing." Bain groaned, scowling at his shoes. He felt like such a naughty child when Severus spoke in that brisk, no-nonsense tone.

"And?"

"I have to stay in Alexis' quarters except for meals."

"Very good." He sighed, watching the child pout for a moment. "I understand your anger, Bain, I do. But I need you to follow my rules. I am your master and I do not make rules for no reason. I do not want you brewing angry because accidents are more likely to happen when you are distracted. I do not want you experimenting without me around because potions can quickly go wrong. If you do not believe either of those statements, I have proof of them." He hesitated, looking into the boy's eyes for a moment. He wasn't quite sure he wanted to tell this story, but he knew it was important for the younger man to understand why he made seemingly pointless rules. Pointless to the child, at least. "When I was your age, I thought I knew better than my master. I was experimenting, without his supervision or knowledge, when in a moment, everything went wrong. I was unable to erect a shield around the cauldron as it exploded and the potion splashed my leg before I could get away. My master felt his wards going off and the charm that alerted him if I was injured, the same charm you wear. He rushed into the lab and vanished the mess, but not before the potion had managed to melt away half the skin on my leg. He managed to stop the poisoning and save my leg, but it did damage the nerves and leave a horrifying scar. " He stated finally, eyes distant.

"What he did he do to you?" Bain asked quietly, wincing at the injury. When he put it that way...his anger could have ended horribly today.

He sighed, focusing on the child in front of him once more. What hadn't his master done? The older wizard had healed him and then held him tightly while he sobbed his pain and fear. He hadn't punished him harshly for it, because the man said he had already been punished enough. But he had lost his trust for a while. A long while. "Besides grounding me to his quarters? I wasn't allowed in the lab for a week, and then for three months afterwards, only when I was with him. He placed an age line in front of the door so that I could not enter and if I tried to cross it...well, he wasn't too pleased. I also lost his trust, because I went behind his back to do something he told me not to. But he didn't stop caring about me and he didn't stop teaching me, I just had to earn that trust back." And he had, though it had taken months of obedience and hard work.

He gave a soft nod, shifting uncomfortably for a moment. He was glad Severus hadn't been that harsh, to ban him from the lab for a week. Not this time, anyway. His bottom hurt and he had lines to write, but it could be worse and he knew that. The sting would vanish soon and while the essay might be difficult, it was an assignment that he had come to expect. Even though he had to face the embarrassment of telling Alexis why he was grounded, he still had Severus' trust. And that meant a lot to him. His anger could have ended horribly, he could have been injured or killed. And his master was telling him that, with a personal story of his own. Because his master hadn't been as lucky as he was, he had been injured. Bain understood this, understood what Severus was saying. That the man still cared about him, would still be his master, no matter how many mistakes he made.

-x-

A/N-

Die Zeit heilt alle Wunden is a proverbs that loosely translates into "time heals all wounds". Zeit is a noun, meaning time. Brauchen is a verb, conjugated here, that means need. My German is far from perfect. But, if you haven't noticed, my English isn't very perfect either.

~Case