A/N- Do not own. It has been a year since this journey has began and my, what a year it has been. This journey, however, is no where near the end. This chapter is very much bits and pieces; many scenes, some of them extremely short. There is also little of Harry here but plenty of Teddy and Alexis, Charlie and Severus. The rest of the gang. Because, as I said a year ago, this story isn't just about Harry and Severus, or Alexis and Teddy, but a rotating cast of characters who are important in their own right. This is a school, a summer camp, and there is much happening inside this camp, most of which never makes it to the screen. I hope ya'll enjoy this longer than average chapter and please forgive any mistakes, as I am sick today but decided to finish this chapter. Enjoy and as always, use your words.

~Case

-x-

Bain grunted, pulling a comb through his hair as he walked into the living room. He paused in the doorway, frowning at the pair of adults sitting on the floor. It was just before eight in the morning, the furniture had all been pushed back and the younger two boys were sitting in the kitchen, watching the pair with fascination. His guardian and his Master were sitting cross-legged on the bare floor, eyes closed, facing each other and surrounded by a barely visible dome of light. Clearly, they weren't meditating. Well, they could be but he doubted it. He moved carefully around the edges of the circle, dropping into a chair at the table next to Teddy. He raised an eyebrow at the younger boy's breakfast, shaking his head. "Is that good for you?" He questioned, drawing both boys attention to him.

Teddy shrugged. He had checked his blood sugar after he had gotten dressed and it had been low but good enough for him. He had also taken the nasty potion when Minzi had popped in with it and he had asked the elf for some cereal. She had supplied a bounty of boxes for him, so he should be able to eat them. The sugary cereal he was eating didn't have nearly as much sugar in it as he wanted but it did have dried fruit, so that was alright. "Minzi said it was fine." He drawled, turning his eyes back to observing his professor. That was old magic, what she was doing, and it was fascinating.

Bain nodded, glancing at the other boy. Elijah was not eating but scribbling away at a piece of parchment, probably his punishment essay. His own was already finished, since he had stayed up late to do so. "Did you eat, Elijah?" He inquired, pouring his own bowl of cereal, although a healthier, non-sugary one.

He shrugged, not bothering to look up from the letter he was writing. He had finished his essay the night before, this was a more...personal topic. For a friend. A very cute friend who didn't realize he had...feelings. He growled under his breath, shaking his head. "Not hungry." He mumbled, moving his arm a bit to shield his writing from view.

The red-head raised an eyebrow at the younger boy, glancing toward the paper. "Try a little something, at least." He suggested quietly, watching the boy scribble away. His only response was a shrug. Bain shook his head, turning back to watch the youngest boy. The thirteen year old was automatically eating, although eating much less than other boys his age would, eyes focused on the scene in the living room. The floo sounded, drawing his attention away from the two adults and to an unhappy healer.

"How long have they been like this?" Tim asked quietly, going into the kitchen and sitting with the boys. He tilted his head slightly, watching the flow of magic. They should have informed him that they were going to redo the wards today, if for nothing else than in case something went wrong.

"Don't know." Bain merely shrugged, turning away from the pair and back to his breakfast.

Tim sighed softly, glancing at the three teenagers. He studied each of them in turn, stopping on Elijah. "Have you eaten, Elijah?" He questioned causally, glancing at Teddy's bowl of sugary cereal. At least it wasn't the worst cereal the boy could eat. He filled a glass with milk and set it in front of the child, raising an eyebrow when Teddy scowled at him.

Teddy huffed, glaring at the glass before taking a very small sip of it. He hated milk. It tasted horrible and it had often been bad when he was a child, often made him sick. The milk here was different and tasted cleaner, but he still hated it.

"Drink that and you can have juice, Teddy. Your body needs the calcium and vitamin D in milk, unless you'd rather eat beef liver?" He stated briskly, biting back a smile when the child nearly gulped the milk down. "Slowly please." He ordered, turning to Elijah once more. The middle teen was still ignoring him, still writing what appeared to be a letter. "Elijah?"

He grimaced and gave a slight nod, not even bothering to look. It didn't matter whether he had ate or not, he didn't want food. He was busy, couldn't they all just leave him alone?

Bain snorted, shaking his head. The younger boy had either lied to him, which he doubted, or was lying to Tim. He opened his mouth to object but stopped at Tim's gaze. The older man shook his head, turning intense brown eyes back to the younger boy. He was quite glad it was not him that the man was looking at like that.

Elijah glanced up at the tense silence, feeling eyes on him. Teddy gave him a brief look of confusion and Bain had a light of disapproval in his eyes. But that was nothing when compared to the healer. The older man merely narrowed his eyes, boring into him with such intensity that he squirmed. Why did he even care? It wasn't like he skipped meals often, he just didn't want to eat. Maybe if he was more built, toner, skinner... maybe then his friend would like him? He had more important things to do besides eat. Ugh. "Sir?" He growled finally, meeting the man's gaze. Either he would tell him what he wanted or he could go away, Elijah didn't really care which. He just wanted to perfect this simple note.

"I am not fond of being lied to, Elijah." He drawled dangerously. The child's body language, as well as the other two teenagers responses, had given him away. Tim was no fool, he had taken care of many children. He could tell when he was being lied to quite easily. Why the child would try to deceive him over something as simple as food was...worrying. Perhaps there was something else going on in the boy's head? "If you are truly not hungry, then tell me. Do not lie to me about it." He added quietly, setting a nutrition supplement vial in front of the child. It was a different potion than the one being spiked in the juice throughout Hogwarts, acting as more of a meal replacement than anything else. There was always going to be one child or another who didn't feel like eating or who had woken up with a fussy stomach or, worse, was in the depths of an eating disorder and could not force themselves to eat that meal.

Elijah flushed, looking away. He fingered the vial for a moment before finally giving in and draining the potion. He blinked, tilting his head slightly. It wasn't as nasty as he had thought it would be, it actually tasted like strawberries. Huh.

Tim gave a slight nod of approval before turning toward the two stirring young mages. "Minzi." He called softly, smiling at the elf when she popped in.

"Yes, Master Tim?" Minzi questioned, casting a small frown at the mess the middle child was making with his ink. A snap of her fingers and the ink stain vanished from the table. "Be more carefuls, young master!" She scolded gently, turning back to the healer.

"I need two protein-enriched plates if you please, as well as whatever you deem good for myself." Tim requested, hiding a smile as Elijah scowled. He glanced toward the pair once more, knowing that she would understand his meaning.

"Very well, Master Tim." Minzi nodded popping away. A plate popped in front of him a moment later, followed by two plates loaded with eggs and bacon under a stasis charm. It would keep until the two young professors managed to finish.

Alexis groaned, stretching taunt muscles and stiff joints. It had taken the better part of three hours for them to even start the process of updating and changing the wards. They would have to keep working on them, as the spell-weaving took time and they were the only ones who could actually change the castle's wards. Of course, they could bring in a third person, someone who could loan their magic and strength while one of them held the wards and the other wove in the new ones. While she wove in the new ones. Weaving magic was a specialty of hers, something that came naturally and easily but it was different on this magnitude. For they couldn't remove any of the old wards, except for the few harmful ones that really weren't essential, without having new wards in place. To do so would leave the castle vulnerable and the students in danger. She took the hand that was offered to her, standing stiffly for a moment and allowing her bones to crack and pop.

"Next time, we use pillows." Severus grumbled, stretching like a cat for a moment. He took her hand, moving toward the edge of the circle they had cast. They made it together and so they must remove it together. He raised his free hand toward the wall of light that surrounded them, closing his eyes for a brief moment as she did the same. Together they moved counter clockwise once, letting the magic flow through them. On the second rotation he started the chant that they both knew so well. "We cast this circle three times round, now thrice around we go once more."

"Magic forged here kept within, these workings sound and solidly stand." Alexis murmured, picking up instantly where he left off. They worked well together, flawlessly. On the third circuit they stopped, their linked hands now stretched toward the dome of energy surrounding them. "We part this circle, all is done."

"Magic forged by Moon and Sun. All called here, thanks to thee." He added quietly, smiling as the warmth of the magic filled him for a moment.

"To go in peace, Blessed Be." She grinned, watching the magic absorb through them and back into the earth from which it had come.

"So mote it be!" They finished together, finally dropping each others hands. He loved working magic with her; if nothing else proved that they were siblings, even if not in blood, their ability to do workings together did. Few were as attuned to each other as they were. He could only work magic like that with a few other people and Alexis was much the same way. He let the magic fill him for a moment before letting the warmth go and turning toward the kitchen. He had thought he had felt Tim's presence; clearly, he was right.

"Come, eat." Tim called, watching the pair for a moment before turning back to the teenager beside him. Bain was an interesting conversationalist, when the boy chose to be.

Alexis groaned, stalking stiffly toward the table and dropping gracelessly into a chair. She stared at the plate in front of her, more food than she was normally comfortable with eating, before falling upon it with gusto. Working with the school's magic like that made her hungry but not tired. Clearly, it also made Severus hungry. After devouring most of the plate, she slowed down, turning her eyes to her boys. Teddy had bags under his eyes, as always and Bain was eating like a teenage boy but Elijah...She paused, raising an eyebrow at her middle child. An empty vial sat in front of him and he was busily scribbling away but it didn't look like an assignment. Something to keep an eye on then, if the child wasn't eating. At least two of the boys would be in her quarters today, so she wouldn't have to worry about them getting into any more trouble.

-x-

"Run!" He giggled, dashing down the corridor, knowing that his friends would be right behind him. They weren't doing anything wrong really, just getting a bit of revenge. Not that anyone would find out, of course. Harry grinned, skidding to a stop in an old classroom.

"That was wicked." Teddy smirked, dropping casually onto the floor. They had claimed this classroom the last time they managed to go exploring, not that it happened a lot. The adults were quite good at keeping an eye on them; too good. But they weren't babies and they didn't need to be watched constantly. The itching powder they had blown up on Derek would hopefully teach the older boy that the younger teens were not to be messed with, not that the boy saw it was them. No, they had been careful. After all, none of them wanted to be beaten up by the overgrown bully.

Karrie hesitated, sitting slowly on the floor. Something had felt off; the way Derek had screamed...it had sounded like the older boy had been in pain. But it was an itching powder, it couldn't do no real harm. Could it? She grimaced, forcing a smile that didn't quite meet her eyes as she turned back to the boys. It made her feel unsettled but there wasn't anything she could do, not really. Besides, the boy was a bully, so he deserved it. Right? But then...how did that make them any better than their parents, even if it was just a simple prank? If it had hurt him. Wasn't the one rule Teddy had told them, of all magic, to do no harm? She didn't know.

-x-

Remus scowled darkly, carrying the now quiet teenager up to the hospital wing. Unlike Harry and Karrie, he had to use a featherlight spell to carry this boy but that mattered not. Not right now. From what he had seen, when he had come across the child, it was clearly a prank gone wrong. Knowing that the boy was a bully, his pranksters probably didn't stick around long enough to see the results of their mischief. Thankfully, he had heard the child screaming and got to him as fast as he could. And he had been able to neutralize most of the effects. But the child was clearly allergic to the prank item, itching powder perhaps, or to the potion he had seen splashed on the floor. He had siphoned a bit of it into a vial and hopefully the new healer Alexis had hired could figure out what was hurting this child. This was beyond what he was comfortable with healing, although he was quite adequate at healing. But he did not have the knowledge of what the child reacted to, to find out how to help him. "Shh child. Master Eric should be able to sort you out." He soothed, frowning as the boy started to whimper again. But they were there now, at the infirmary. He sat the child gently on a bed, sharp eyes watching as the healer swarmed over and quickly set to work. He hoped with all his might that his children had not been behind this, although they didn't really seem the type to pull pranks. The potion however...it seemed like something one of the three smart children could have done. They were brilliant, the lot of them, but scarily so. Much like Lily and Severus had been as children. Much as Alexis still was. Damn. He'd have to inform her and he was not looking forward to that.

-x-

She stared out the window, eyes distant. Her body was tense, her hands clenched together behind her back. She didn't even turn when the floo went off, having expected it. Remus had informed her of the child he had found, which had not made her happy. So she was expecting the healer who stepped into her office. "Master Eric." She greeted dryly, watching a group of teenagers chase each other near the lake.

"He'll be alright, Alexis. It was an allergic reaction to a potion, the prank product merely exaggerated his condition." Eric sighed, leaning against a stretch of wall, watching the young woman for a long moment. She merely nodded, still not turning to face him. Her back was straight, her hands tightly clenched, shoulders hunched. He moved silently toward her, hesitating for a brief moment before resting brown calloused hands on her shoulders. He ignored the flinch for the moment, focusing instead on gently massaging the tense shoulders of the Headmistress. "Relax, Alexis. Just relax." He murmured, ignoring her attempt to pull away.

"I am fine, Master Eric." She growled, glaring at the window. She was just a bit stressed and it didn't help when one of her students was severely injured. Especially as a prank. But she had a feeling it wasn't just a prank. Someone had probably gotten tired of being bullied and enacted their own form of revenge, not suspecting that the boy might have a severe reaction to that revenge.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "If you believe this is fine, I would hate to see bad." He teased, hazel eyes gleaming with humour. "Enough with this Master Eric, nonsense. First Remus, and then you. It makes a man feel old!"

She grinned, finally turning to face him. "But you are old, Eric." She smirked at him, squeaking when he pulled her into a strong hug before stepping back and eyeing her.

"Fifty is not old." He protested with a smile, taking her in for a moment. It was the first time he got a good look at the new headmistress, although he would always remember her as the child Tim had brought home. That first day when she was terrified of them and refusing to speak...he still remembered that girl. When she had extended the opportunity to be head healer of Hogwarts, he had taken it. It was a step down for him and while he was a Master Pediatric Healer, working privately for many wizarding families and heading the children's hospital, he was actually quite glad for this change. Less bureaucratic duties and more actual healing. Heading a hospital meant that he rubbed elbows with donors and scheduled staff but he had done little with the children and they were the reason he had started healing in the first place. It also placed him back with his friend...his lover. And he worked well with Tim, knowing both the man's strengths and his weaknesses. "You look terrible." He added quietly, raising an eyebrow at her.

She shrugged, summoning Derek's file with a twitch of her fingers. "I've been informed. What potion is he allergic to?" She inquired, scanning through the newest medical scan on the young bully.

"An explosive potion, surprisingly. My guess is that the child involved poured the potion on the floor and tossed the powder once Derek came into view. The powder would have activated the potion, causing it to explode on the boy and coating him with the powder. Severus identified it as a potion that is used to blow down doors or blow up small patches of rock. Something used by the auror corps, but not something a child should have. Simple enough to make but only if you have access to the ingredients." He sighed, shaking his head. It was baffling, to be sure. He would also have to do a test with the child, to see which ingredients it was that he reacted to. Although most of the ingredients were specific to this potion, some, the neutralizing agents, were used in other potions. It would not do for the child to have an reaction to a healing potion.

"I take it there is no way to tell who did this." She murmured, already expecting a negative. After all, the child had spilled the potion on the floor, there wouldn't be a way to track it. Hopefully, this would be the only bit of revenge that this child enacted; she didn't need another bully on her hands, one was already too many.

He chuckled suddenly, running through the list of ingredients in his mind. "If the child did not make the potion, no. But if the child made the potion, then for up to a day you should be able to tell. One of the ingredients reacts with citrus acid and will turn their hands blue. I'll let you know if any blue-handed children show up to the infirmary."

She grunted, shaking her head. It would be easy to have the children make their own lemonade, although she could narrow the list of suspect children down quite easily. And she had an odd feeling that it was probably one of her children that did this. She couldn't blame them for wanting revenge on the boy but all of the children needed to learn that revenge was not the answer. Although, that was a lesson quite a few adults needed as well. She turned back to the papers on her desk, sighing softly. Always so much work to be done and never enough time.

"Alexis..." He hesitated for a moment, waiting until she had looked back up at him. All she could do was toss him out, after all. No worse than her tantrums as a teenager, not that she was much more than a teenager now. "If you wish to speak about-"

"I don't."She snarled, eyes steely gray. "If that is all, Eric?" She dismissed, turning away from him, eyes focused unseeingly on the file in her hands.

"Of course." He murmured, reaching toward her for a moment before stopping. It would be futile to try, at least right now. She would come to them when she was ready and not before.

She waited until the door clicked shut, raising the wards over her office and spun around. Energy flew from her hands, smashing into one of the chairs. She flung her hand out again, scorching the wall, before collapsing in her chair and closing her eyes against the tears that threatened to fall. She flinched at the light weight that landed on her shoulder, before reaching up to stroke the feathers of the phoenix. She took a deep breath, listening to the soft thrills from the bird. "Thanks Fawkes. I'm fine now."She whispered, relaxing slightly and turning back to her work. The phoenix, however, stayed on her shoulder, to watch over her as she worked.

-x-

"Teddy...why is your hand blue?" Charlie questioned, raising an eyebrow at the boy. He offered the child a clean shirt, shaking his head. The child was sticky and his clothes wet, which was why he had taken him back to the camp rooms, to help him get cleaned up. Someone had knocked into the boy and his glass of juice spilled all over him. It was an accident, to be fair, and the child hadn't acted upset at all. It did probably help that the one to knock into him had been one of the younger children.

Teddy grimaced, wiping his hands on the wet cloth again. Only one of them was blue, which didn't make sense at all. Maybe the juice had reacted with something on his hand? "Don't know." He shrugged, hesitating for a moment before pulling his drenched shirt over his head and quickly accepting the clean one from Charlie. As least the older man wouldn't gawp at his scars, like some of the other boys had.

Charlie sighed, shifting through the child's dresser in search of a pair of trousers, or even shorts at this point. Clearly the child, like many of the children at the camp, did not have adequate enough clothing. He knew the boy tended to wear the same trousers over and over again, but he had thought that he was just being a preteen. After all, he had done much the same at that age. But then, he remembered why he had done that when he was younger, probably for the same reason that many of his boys did. He groaned, shaking his head briefly. The only trousers the child had were shoved in the drawer and dirty; the only pair of shorts was ripped. He grimaced, shifting through the dirty clothes for the moment. No wonder the child had nothing clean to wear, if he was hoarding his clothes in his drawers. And he probably wasn't the only child doing so. He could foresee laundry duty in his future; this evening most likely. But he knew he wouldn't be alone in it, once he mentioned it to the other counselors. The lot of them would probably be washing and mending clothing tonight. The elves could do it, of course, but somehow he thought the children would be more likely to go for it if they did it. Many were muggleborn or raised, after all, and others guarded their possessions closely; they probably feared that the elves would give someone else their clothes by accident and when they only had three pairs of trousers...that was a big fear. "We will have to manage with just a cleaning spell for now, Teddy. If you like, I will make sure your clothes get cleaned and back to you tonight." He offered, carefully pulling out his wand. The child flinched but nodded, giving his consent to the spell. A simple swish and a muttered word later, the boy's trousers were dried and, hopefully, no longer sticky.

Teddy grimaced briefly, hating the feeling of the spell even if it was a bit ticklish. He knew his clothes were a mess but he also knew he wasn't the only one. Most of the boys stuck their clothes back in their dressers; only a few used the hampers that allowed the elves to wash their clothes. It wasn't that he didn't trust the elves, he did, he just...they were his clothes. His. And he didn't have very much that belonged to him anymore. Not after his father had burned it all. He glanced at his hand again, frowning at it. He also felt...guilty, for what they had done earlier. Not because Derek hadn't deserved it, he had; but because he felt like it made them bad now, like Derek. And he didn't want to be mean like Derek; he didn't want to become his father. He'd die first. "Charlie?" He petitioned quietly, glancing uneasily at the older man for a moment. He liked Charlie; more importantly, he trusted Charlie.

He turned to fully face the child, furrowing his brow in concern at the boy's tone. "What's up, Teddy?"

"What makes a person bad?" He questioned softly, brown eyes staring into blue for a long moment.

Charlie blinked, not having expected that question, at all. The young teen sounded so young when he phrased it like that, sounded so much like the child he was. He crouched down to be on eye level with the child, thinking it over for a moment. He needed some clarification if he was to answer properly and he did intend to answer properly. "What do you mean, Teddy? What do you mean by bad?" He inquired softly, making sure to keep eye contact with the boy. It was something they had been working on with all of the children in the 'E' group, although it was a habit he had to break himself.

"What makes a person bad?" He asked again, shaking his head. "What actions makes them a bad person?" Teddy sighed, looking away.

"It is our choices that define us, not our actions. Hurting someone, be it with words or fists or magic, is not very good. Those who feel remorse and guilt over the harm they caused are quite different than those who don't. No one is inherently bad nor inherently good. We are a blank slate, shaped by our actions, the way we are taught, our conscience, and, most importantly, our choices." He explained softly, hoping the child would understand him. "Does this have anything to do with why your hand is blue?"He added dryly, raising an eyebrow at the teen.

"It might. Choosing to hurt someone makes me a bad person, right?" Teddy grimaced, biting his lip. His father had always told him how bad he was, how much of a freak he was. Maybe it was true.

"No. Your actions might have been bad, Teddy, but that doesn't automatically make you bad. The fact that we are even having this conversation shows that you aren't. Tell me what happened." Charlie ordered briskly, although he could wager a guess that it had something to do with the state Derek was in.

"We just meant to prank him, to get a little...revenge, since he is always being mean to us. I mean, me. He's always mean to me. But I didn't know it'd hurt him like that! It was only itching powder." He confessed in a rush, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. Now the older man would reject him and he'd tell Alexis and she wouldn't want him either and-

"Teddy! Calm child. Deep breaths." Charlie murmured, resting a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. He had seen enough of these reactions in the last few days to know that the child was either panicking or shutting down. He waited until the child's breathing had steadied for a moment, before taking a deep breath of his own. "I was bullied as a child, Teddy. I remember the want, the need, to get back at my bully quite clearly. To want even just a bit of revenge and to hope that my bully never ever found out. Getting that revenge did not make me a bad person, nor did it make me a bully. My bully never found out that it was I who turned all his underwear pink or who coated his bed in itching powder. They were simple pranks, a bit of justice for all the wrong that he had done to me. They didn't harm him nor did you mean to harm Derek. I do not condone such behaviour, of course, but it doesn't make you a bad person. It just makes you human." He reassured, smirking at the wide-eyed child. Granted, he had done much worse than he had told the boy, but there were somethings that the child was too young to know.

He hesitated, biting his lip for a moment before nodding. He understood what the older boy was saying and he also realized that the man was not rejecting him either. Maybe Alexis would still want him then, if he wasn't a bad person.

"We have to be careful of our actions Teddy, so that we do not harm. Accidents and mistakes happen, because we are only human. I understand why you decide to pull a prank on Derek and I do know that you meant no real harm. That said, such acts do have consequences. We cannot just blindly try to exact revenge on those who harm us. Do you know the threefold law, Teddy?" He questioned finally, gently taking hold of the boy's chin and raising it so that their eyes met.

"Mind the threefold law you should, three times bad and three times good." He chanted instantly, having learned that at the Malfoy's one summer. "It means that any bad you do comes back to you three times as much and any good is magnified three times. " He added slowly, trying to avoid the older man's eyes.

"Exactly. Derek's bullying of you will come back on him. Revenge will make you feel better briefly but it will always get you into trouble. "Charlie replied sternly, biting back a sigh. He had learned that lesson that hard way and he would prefer it if his boys did not have to learn it that way. But he did understand exactly where the child was coming from, he just couldn't let it go without consequences. But a simple punishment should do, although he would have to tell Alexis that he had found the culprits. Because he was quite sure that Teddy had not been in this alone; after all, where one went, the other two tended to follow lately. "So, that said, I want lines from you. Let's try 'I will think about the consequences before acting'. Twenty-five, please. And you may pass the message on to Harry and Karrie as well. They too owe me lines. Tomorrow evening." He ordered firmly, meeting brown eyes for a long moment before the child looked down.

"Yes sir." Teddy muttered, grimacing slightly. Harry and Karrie would be mad at him; well, perhaps not. They had all felt a bit guilty when they found out what had happened to Derek. And twenty-five lines wasn't very much at all.

Charlie reached out, catching the boy before he could pull completely away. He ignored the barely suppressed flinch, opening his arms to the child. Teddy hesitated for a moment but he smiled softly at him, silently letting him know that all was alright now, and the child instantly fell into his arms. He hugged the little boy tight, shaking his head slightly. This child could never be bad, no matter what he thought.

-x-

"Relax."

She grunted, eyes blankly gazing into the lake. They were on the other side of the lake, away from where any students would be; not that the students should be outside at this time of the evening. Most of them would be in their groups, or should be in their group meetings. She glanced at Tim, looking away quickly. The damn man seemed to know everything; although he had said nothing about the minimal damage to her office, he had given her that look.

Filius sighed, gently touching the arm of his youngest child. "Alexis, calm." He murmured softly, feeling the tension rolling off the younger woman. This would be a small ritual, nothing too intricate or elaborate but simple. He didn't have to look to know that their family stood around them, that each of them was watching his child with concern. If only she would just let them help her! But Alexis was stubborn, he knew that.

Tim stepped back from setting up the little white candles in a small, makeshift boat, turning to face the group behind him. "Alright, ready when you are Alexis." He remarked quietly, moving to the other side of the young woman. Three candles, three mages. The rest of their group formed a tight semi-circle behind them, hands lifting to bring up the circle they had cast.

Grey eyes dimmed for a moment but she took a deep breath, letting her inner calm take over. She could do this, it was just a simple ritual after all. A ritual to help him, and her, move on. To deal with grief. She could do this. She stepped forward, lifting her hand up toward the the sky. It was slowly turning to night, but not quite there yet. "Goddess, we call upon you to help us set all to right. To guide Jakob Retten on. To help us move forward without regret. This we ask." She murmured, her voice ringing clear around the clearing. She knelt, touching the middle candle with a finger. A flame sprang to it, making it glow. "This is for Jakob." She whispered softly, biting her lip and stepping back into her place.

Filius stepped forward, moving to the candle on the right. He also lifted his hand toward the sky, his heart with the child behind him. "Goddess we ask you to guide us each along the path toward healing: our souls, our minds, our bodies." He called out, leaning over and lighting his candle with a touch of his finger. "For Jakob." He murmured softly, slipping back beside his child.

"Goddess we ask that you lend us your strength, those gathered here, so that we may support her through her grief. In love we are united, if not by blood. Strengthen this bond, if thy will, so that we may continue to grow stronger together, to love more, to learn more, and to lean on each other." Tim stepped forward, crouching and lighting the last candle. He beckoned to Alexis and she stepped forward once more, gently pushing the little makeshift boat into the lake.

The boat stayed still for a moment, flames flickering. She kept her eyes locked on it, a tear slowly running down her face. "On with you, Retten." She whispered, watching as the boat finally started to drift away. She took a breath, swiping at her face and standing fully. "If these requests are thy will, Goddess, then so mote it be." She finished strongly, stepping back as the chorus rang out around her. She turned to face her family, her eyes going to each of them for a moment. Some had turned to close the circle while Tim, Filius and Severus watched her. She could practically feel their concern. But she was alright, she would be alright. A smile flickered on her face when a brief warmth past through her body and she relaxed ever so slightly. She was loved by these people, and more if she counted the students who had taken to her. And she could feel that love. All would be well, one day. She might break before then but it was nothing she couldn't handle. And now to pry Lucius away from his wife...he had agreed to go the bank with her, after all. Was it her fault that the vault Retten had left for her was in Sweden? She grinned impishly, hugging Filius and then Tim before stalking toward the older man. After all, she needed to have some fun.

-x-

Remus swore softly, pricking his finger once more. He hated sewing, even though he had done it often when he was a bit younger. After all, being a werewolf meant that he often had trouble finding a job in the wizarding world and so he hadn't bought many robes and just kept patching the old robes up, instead investing in regular clothing for his non-magical job. And here he was, terrible sewing skills and all, sewing up a teenage girl's skirt surrounded by young men and women with mending of their own in their laps. Why he agreed to help the young counselors was currently beyond him. Although he had to admit, watching Severus deftly sew up a dress was worth it.

Charlie forced down a grin, finishing mending the last pair of Teddy's trousers. When he had told Jake and Mary his suspicions, they had immediately decided that clothing checks were in order. What they had found was shocking, but not really that surprising. Dirty, torn, too large or too small and inadequate clothing. Every child seemed to be lacking in something and over half of the children were hiding their dirty clothes. Every single member of the 'E' group and a good portion of the rest of the children. It had made him...angry. But that wasn't important now. And it was entertaining, to watch his colleagues attempt something as simple as sewing. Kate, who headed the younger girls, was a natural at it and had quickly became the one to take in and let out clothing. But Jake had never even threaded a needle before and Remus kept sticking himself. Severus had quickly regulated Jake to rotating the loads of clothes from the magical washer to the dryer and Mary had taken over hemming pants and skirts; so that left him and Remus to mend regular rips, while Severus easily fixed the largest of tears.

Jake grunted, carefully folding Milo's clothing and setting it in the designated basket. He glanced at the small grouping of them, sitting in the Castle's laundry facilities, doing duties that most magicals would frown upon. The elves had offered to do it, but the children were much more comfortable if the few people they trusted handled their precious belongings. Most of the counselors shied away from doing these chores, but not the five with him. Severus had readily agreed and dragged his partner along, and the other three...well, it would have been a losing battle to keep any them away. Kate had even, bless her, managed to pry the few stuffed animals away from some of the preteens, promising to wash them and return them by morning. She also had sewed up all the rips in the animals, adding the stuffing that the elves brought her to them. But she didn't change their appearances, even if one was missing a leg and another had no ears. Because the disfigured toys brought comfort and the children were attached to them just as they were. He turned back toward the pile of laundry waiting to be folded, his eyes stopping to rest on Charlie for a moment. The slightly younger man had been angry earlier, he had seen it clearly in his eyes. But he wouldn't speak to him or Mary about it, even if he had come to trust them. He could still see that anger, lesser now, pushed away, but it was there. And it would stay there until the younger man snapped. Hopefully, he would not snap near the children. That would be...disastrous.

Charlie growled softly, glaring at the jeans he was trying to sew. He was good at sewing, so why did he keep going through both sides of the too thin fabric? The child had torn out the knee of his jeans, he should easily be able to fix it. But it was becoming aggravating.

"Charlie, you are sewing the leg together child." Severus called softly, having glanced up from his own quick mending. It was calming and soothing, sewing was. He had often had to fix clothing for his snakes, because many were scared that the elves would not return their clothing. So he did it, as it offered them just a bit of security. And here he was, spending his evening sewing. Lucius and Alexis still were not back, so he had nothing to do but pass time until they returned.

He glared at the older man, snarling softly under his breath. "I know." He hissed, carefully ripping out the stitches and starting again.

He raised an eyebrow, not bothering to look up from the dress he was mending. It was Karrie's dress, the only one the child owned, and it had been torn in several places. Getting it away from the child had been difficult, as had getting the clothing from the other children. Most of them were reluctant to part with their belongings but Jake had done some rather fast talking and the majority had readily agreed. A bit of persuading and the rest eventually relented. Jake was very much the head of the counselors, even as young as he was. Granted, Alexis was only a year older than the man but they were vastly different people.

Kate glanced at the slightly younger man, frowning slightly. His hands were shaking and his needle was digging through both trouser legs..."Charlie, maybe I should-"

"I got it!" He snapped, gritting his teeth. He carefully tore out the stitches again, attempting one more time to get this damn thing right. He could do this. He didn't need help! He had been sewing since he was a teenager, after all. He didn't need her damn help.

"Charlie." Jake reprimanded softly, catching the younger man's eye. He shook his head slightly, green eyes meeting blue for a moment. Charlie dropped his eyes first, glaring daggers in the trousers on his lap. He bit back a sigh, trading a quick look with Severus, The younger man was on edge, this was not good. But Severus' glance was reassuring, the older man was more than willing to handle it. Because he knew Charlie was more likely to listen to Severus, although the younger man was becoming much more comfortable with him and Mary; he was just like a younger brother to them and he wasn't above scolding the younger man. He just wasn't sure if the younger man would accept it from him just yet.

He watched the boy's hands for a moment longer, grimacing as he stabbed the fabric. Severus set his finished dress in the designated basket, before leaning forward and gently tugging the trousers out of Charlie's hold. "I think we could both use a break, Charlie. Walk with me." It wasn't a suggestion and the boy grimaced at the order, sneering at him.

He hissed, gritting his teeth for a moment. He was fine, irritated but fine. He didn't need a break and he certainly didn't want to speak with Severus. But he also knew that there wasn't much of a way out of it. Unless... "I don't need a break, Severus." He growled back, brushing away the hand that was offered to him.

Severus merely raised an eyebrow, tilting his head slightly. He leaned closer to the child, ignoring the three sets of eyes locked on them. Remus had merely glanced at the boy and shaken his head, but the three young counselors were gaping at Charlie. "It was not a suggestion, child." He murmured softly, dangerously. He beckoned to the child, turning and walking through the doorway without glancing back. The young man would follow, even if it took him a few minutes. He knew better than to not do so.

Charlie grumbled under his breath, ignoring the look Jake was sending him. He shifted uncomfortably for a moment before huffing and standing, stalking into the hallway. He glared at the older man, who was leaning against the wall, folding his arms over his chest. "What?" He growled, scowling furiously at the man.

Severus bit back a chuckle, keeping his expression perfectly bland. The younger man looked so much younger when he skulked so. He beckoned to the boy, turning and walking down the hallway. This part of the castle was mostly maintenance and storage but there was an old renovated storage room down here. He had managed to convince Albus to let him turn it into a makeshift gym years ago. It was the best place for this conversation. He stopped in front of the door, taping it with his wand to bypass the wards that would alert him, or the Headmistress, if there was a student in the gym when they shouldn't be. The Quidditch teams occasionally used the gym and he had often brought teenage boys, and the occasional girl, here to burn off steam; the wards just alerted him if someone was there alone or at night. Because any student here in the middle of the night needed to know that they were not alone. He had found the blond here once, when the boy was seventeen, and he remembered quite clearly the conversation that followed and he was sure the young man did as well. It was, after all, the only time he had ever taken the younger man over his knees. He had used stinging spells on him before, yes, but only once had he ever actually spanked the younger man. That was not important at the moment, however. Although he could see stinging spells in the near future. He gestured toward an area of the cushioned floor, following him into the room. "Sit. Talk to me, Charlie." He remarked softly, calmly.

He bit his lip for a moment, trying to force his temper down. It wasn't working, however. His emotions had been too close to the surface for a few days now and everything, everything, with him became anger. It was all he knew, after all, and he often reverted back to it when he was stressed. Perhaps he was stressed now, perhaps coming back to Hogwarts had been a bad idea but he loved these boys, loved this job, and even loved his colleagues, even if he did want to hex them sometimes. This room was not one he had thought he would be in tonight. The punching bag, the free weights, the area for hand to hand fighting...this was where he had started to learn control all those years ago. And this was also where Severus had kicked his ass for being stupid. And would probably do it again, if he felt that it was necessary. But it wasn't. He was fine. Safe. Cared for. Sane. Loved? Well the last one had always been iffy, but lately...yes, lately he felt loved. He took a deep breath, trying to focus on those thoughts, hoping to edge the anger away. "I'm fine, sir. Just fine." He replied dryly, finally looking at the older man.

Severus sighed, shaking his head. Clearly, he was not fine or they wouldn't be having this conversation. "You internalize too much Charlie. I thought we had dealt with this when you were a student. You need to learn to let it out child, before it destroys you." He stated quietly, settling himself into a cross-legged position on the floor. The younger man would join him when he chose to and not before.

"You want me to be angry, Severus?" He grimaced, running a hand across the punching bag. He didn't like letting his anger out, he didn't like his temper. He hated it and it...scared him. Because he couldn't become that, he just couldn't.

Anger wasn't the only thing that the young man internalized. No, his anger came from forcing everything else down, from forcing himself not to feel anything at all. He had thought that they had handled this once before; taught him that it was alright, that it was necessary, to feel. Clearly, the few years that the young man had been away had caused him to forget all that he had taught him. "If that is what it takes, yes. But there is more to you than anger, Charles. Isn't there?" He drawled, raising an eyebrow when the younger man slumped slightly, shrugging.

"No." He grunted, blinking rapidly and focusing intensely on the punching bag. There wasn't much but anger left in him anymore. And he did hold true anger for the mistreatment of his children, for the neglect they had suffered, for how hurting they were. No child should have to suffer through what he had and that did truly make him angry. Concerned, as well. He was always concerned for those children, for their well-being and happiness. So perhaps he did feel something besides anger. He felt concern. But did that really count?

Severus stood slowly, cautiously moving and putting a hand on the younger man's shoulder. Charlie flinched but he wasn't hexed. Nor did the younger man turn toward him. "There is Charlie. There is so much more to you than anger. So much more. There is compassion, strength, courage, love, concern, patience. So much patience, more than most would have for those children. You are more than anger." He paused, turning the young man gently so that he faced him. "Tell me, what were you feeling while you were sewing? Besides anger. What was the root emotion?" He inquired softly, firm hand still resting on the man's shoulder.

He grimaced, biting his lip for a moment. Severus couldn't be right, could he? He had a bad temper, a lot of anger. He knew that. But...did he also have strength and courage? He wasn't sure. Charlie knew, however, that he did have compassion, and empathy, for not just the children under his care but also the adults around him. Most people, actually. He had strong empathy and it often led to anger, when he couldn't help someone or when someone else was suffering. He had patience for most people, but not bullying. And he definitely held concern, but strength? Courage? Those were not things he attributed to himself. He took a deep breath, focusing for a moment. Earlier, he had been angry at the need to patch up most of the children's clothing, at the reasons that none of them had adequate enough clothes. He had also been...frustrated. And he had felt.. "I was frustrated, that it wasn't sewing correctly. And angry that there was even a need to repair their clothing, that they had nothing. And I felt.." He grimaced, shaking his head for a moment.

"Helpless." Severus suggested quietly, giving a slight smirk at the shock in the younger man's eyes before becoming somber once more.

"How?" Charlie questioned softly , dropping his eyes. A firm hand gripped his chin, bringing his eyes back up to meet onyx.

"Every single person in that room felt helpless, Charlie. How much damage we have to undo, while not altogether shocking, is unsettling and upsetting. We feel helpless when we don't know how we can help these children heal. How we couldn't prevent this harm from happening to them. Helplessness is something everyone feels from time to time. There is no shame in that. You do not need to mask your feelings and emotions with anger, Charlie. You are not your father and you never will be. The fact that you care so much for these children proves that much." He answered firmly, meeting the young man's eyes until the boy looked away, blinking rapidly. He chuckled softly, opening his arms in welcome. "Come here, boy." He gruffed. It took a moment before the younger man's head was buried into his shoulder and he wrapped his arms tightly around the child.

Charlie blinked, ignoring the tingling feeling in his eyes. He was alright now, even if Severus had done much of the talking. The older man held him and the strong arms around him were reassuring. He was safe. He was okay. Well, maybe not but he would be okay. He leaned into the hug, resting his head on the man's shoulder and letting his body slowly relax.

Severus rubbed the younger man's back, keeping him in his hold. Charlie did not often let people touch him, let alone hold him or hug him. And the younger man needed the comfort of physical contact, even if he denied it. "You are loved, Charlie. Don't forget that." He murmured softly, feeling him relax against him. The younger man may had said little, but it was enough. Hopefully he had gotten through to him, but if not he would just keep trying. Because those children needed their favourite counselor and the blond made Alexis smile. So he would do what he had to, so that Charlie knew how much he was loved and needed. And that he didn't have to do this alone. That he had him, they had him, and they wouldn't let go.

-x-