a/N- Do not own! Yes it is late, it is also super long and took be the better part of two weeks to write. Actually, the last section took me the longest, as I wasn't sure how I wanted it to go. Anyway, this is mostly Bain with a bit of Elijah and some Severus thrown it. Also, there is mention of a smacking but no actual smacking. Let me know what you think and as always, use your words.
~Case
-x-
He grunted, swinging his arm back to punch the tree once more. He froze at the gentle touch to his wrist, immediately locking down his emotions. Bain spun suddenly, his fist spinning out instantly. Instinct. Fight or flight. His eyes widen in surprise, even as his punch was blocked with ease. He took a hesitant step back, letting his arm drop back to his side. Or trying to anyway. A hand gently grasped his wrist, turning it and assessing the damage with just the tap of a wand. He had almost hit his...guardian? Mother? What was she to him, really?
Alexis sighed softy, shaking her head at the state of the boy's wrist. Three days since Eric had healed the first fracture and the boy had managed to fracture his right hand again. If he kept this up, he would do permanent damage to the bones and nerves in his hand. Magic could only repair so much, after all. Which is what made this afternoon so nerve-wrecking. Because the potion would be ready in a few hours and Severus would administer it to the child. They had requested to try it at Hogwarts first, in case something went wrong, and little Mia's parents had agreed. She would have to leave to get them in a couple of hours but right now, she was not worried about that. No, she was much more worried about the teenaged boy who seemed to be taking his anger out on every tree in this courtyard. She healed the damage to his hand, although it would need to be wrapped so that natural healing could finish the job, before releasing his wrist. "Fractured again. That's the second time this week, Bain." She remarked dryly, raising an eyebrow at the boy.
He shrugged, shifting anxiously for a moment. He didn't know what she wanted him to say, what he was suppose to say. He was used to broken bones, after all, and a fracture was nothing compared to what he had suffered in the past. The pain was even refreshing in a way; it was a sharp contrast to pain in his head, to the anger he felt, to the emptiness and the hopelessness. But he didn't hurt himself, that wasn't who he was. He couldn't harm himself, not like Teddy did. But he did hit things; better trees than people, yeah?
"You have also not seen your counselor more than once, which is unacceptable. If you do not like Paul, there are other counselors. You cannot keep skipping those meetings, Bain." She drawled silkily, frowning at the boy. It was concerning, actually, that the boy would speak to no one. Even if the children didn't talk about what happened to them, having someone there for them, willing to listen to them, often helped in its own way. The red-head could not build trust with a man he had only spoken to once and he rarely spoke to her or Severus about what was bothering him. Even Eric, who was quite good at getting children to open up, had managed to get very little from him. He wouldn't even attend his group meetings, although she did understand that at least. He was a seventh year, the only one within the castle so far this summer.
"Paul is fine." Bain shrugged, emotionless. He wouldn't go even if he had a different counselor. He didn't need a counselor. He was fine, perfectly fine. At least, that was what he wanted to believe. He knew otherwise but he took up too much of her time. She had bigger concerns than himself and he had a group of preteens to find. He had promised to fly with them, after all.
And she had thought Elijah was at the difficult age. She couldn't help him unless he let her in, unless he stopped pretending. But perhaps he didn't know how, perhaps he didn't understand why she would care. Alexis knew she had been that way once...well, if she was honest with herself, and she tried to always be honest with herself, she was still that way sometimes. After all, wasn't that how she had reacted the night before? She remembered quite clearly how she finally came to realize that they did care. It was not just their words but their actions, even if she hadn't liked all of it. "Bain, Kind, nein. No. It is not fine. This cannot continue." She responded, quieter, gentler this time. She met blue eyes firmly, until those eyes dropped to shuffling feet.
He grimaced, biting his lip for a moment. "Why not?" He growled, haltingly meeting her eyes once more. Why couldn't they all just leave him alone? No one had ever cared before! Well, perhaps that wasn't true. Filius and Severus had cared and he knew they still did. And his brother...his brother used to care. Maybe he still did. He didn't know.
"You are harming yourself. By keeping it all locked inside, you are causing damage to yourself. You do not have to do this alone, Bain. I will not let you go through this alone." She sighed softly, reaching out a gentle hand to rest on his shoulder. The boy flinched but she paused, waiting until he was steady once more before clasping her hand gently to his shoulder and leaving it there.
He wasn't harming himself! What Teddy did was harmful, what he did wasn't. Not at all. Was it? How could it be? After all, keeping his emotions locked inside was something he had been doing for years. And yes, sometimes he lost his temper, but it wasn't really harmful. Bain scowled, glaring at the older woman for a moment. But he didn't pull away from her touch, didn't shrug her hand off his shoulder. If anything, he leaned into the gentle, firm hand. Because it made him feel safe. He just didn't understand why it did so. "I don't harm myself." He snapped finally, meeting warm silver eyes for a long moment, before looking away. It was funny that he was slightly taller than her now, taller than Severus even. But not by much and he still wasn't as tall as Eric. He still had quite a few centimeters to go but he was also still growing. And he hated that. Hated that it made his limbs awkward and that they still viewed him as a child. He wasn't no damn child!
Alexis merely raised an eyebrow, letting her gaze rest pointedly on his wrist for a moment. "You may not actively cause physical harm to yourself, but by locking everything inside you are doing harm to yourself. Keeping your anger, pain, and sadness bottled in doesn't help, Bain. Let me help you, please. Don't lock yourself away from me." She responded softly, letting her worry show through in her tone. She could not lose one of her children, she just couldn't. She was there to protect and care for her wards and that is what she would do. Granted, that was every child within the walls of Hogwarts; but that was also her three boys, her three sons. If they would just let her in.
"The others need you." He grimaced, pulling away. He didn't understand why she would care for him, worry about him. The others, the children, needed her. He was not important. He knew that.
"As do you, mein liebes Sohn."
Bain blinked, turning back to the woman. He didn't have to understand what she said to understand her meaning. There was so much love in her voice, so much care...and she had called him son. His own father had never called him that, not that he had been much of a father. He met concerned, love-filled eyes for a moment before looking away. He wasn't used to that, he didn't even understand why. Why him? He was nothing, no one. Absolutely no one. Worthless. Damaged.
"Nein Kind, no. You are not." She touched a hand to his face, ignoring the flinch. His face had clearly displayed his emotions, for once, and he had been projecting, although he probably didn't realize that. "You are not damaged nor worthless. You are mine. My son." She added firmly, resting her other hand back on his shoulder, still softly stroking the boy's cheek.
He stared at her blankly for a moment, feeling the tug of her magic, the feel of it against his. He had felt the bond between them before, but rarely. Because he had rarely acknowledged it for what it was. He had paid more attention to the apprentice-master bond he had with Severus, because he had known that was real, it was fact. But never the bond with his headmistress. Because although it was real to him, he had thought that she couldn't possibly care for him, that she couldn't want him. But maybe she did. Maybe she wouldn't mind being his... "Mum." He whispered, almost to himself.
She chuckled, opening her arms to him. If she achieved nothing else with him this day, at least she had managed this. At least he would finally understand, finally know, that magic had bond them. That she wanted to be his mother, to take care of and worry about him. To love him. To give him what he needed and what he never had. To give him what he wanted and set reasonable rules and boundaries. To keep him safe, just as he instinctively tried to keep his 'brothers' safe.
Bain hesitated for a moment, staring at the woman with hopeful blue eyes. When she didn't turn away, didn't push him away, he haltingly moved toward her. He finally just gave in, stepping into the hug and feeling her magic cocoon around him. He felt safe but mostly, he felt loved. It was different from the relationship with his Master and that was alright with him.
Alexis wrapped strong arms around the lanky youth, holding him tightly. She would hold her children as often as they would let her; would offer them that comfort as often as it had once been offered to her. She knew she would have to get him to speak to her or Severus, anyone, soon, but for the moment, she was just content to hug her eldest son, for as long as he would let her.
-x-
"Boys! Enough!" Eric snapped, pulling the two teenagers apart with ease of practice. He kept between the two boys, scanning each of them with his eyes for a moment. A split lip, a bruised cheek; minor injuries, as far as he could see. But he also knew teenaged boys, there could be unseen injuries to either of them. He removed his wand slowly, deliberately, frowning at the two flinches but casting a simple diagnostic spell anyway. "What happened?" He questioned, stepping back slightly so that he could see both of their faces.
"Nothing sir." They chorused together, the smaller one glaring at the slightly bigger one.
He arch a brow at them, turning his gaze to focus on Elijah for a long moment. The boy squirmed, grimacing and looked away quickly.
"Just a misunderstanding sir." Elijah muttered finally, glancing at the slightly smaller boy. It had been a misunderstanding. The younger boy had thought he had been insulting him, but he hadn't. He had been defending him. Perhaps he shouldn't have called him little, but Nick was little. Littler than him, anyway, and much smaller that Derek. Even if the other boy was bigger than Teddy; he wasn't that much bigger.
"I see. Nikolaas?" He turned his gaze to the smaller of the two boys, raising an eyebrow at the results. Had Elijah even hit the younger boy back? Clearly he had, he had seen him fighting back, but there was so few injuries on the smaller child and all of those injuries were minor. Compared to the bruises covering Elijah...he had a feeling those bruises weren't all from this fight, if any of them were. Some of them seemed more likely to have occurred from a fall.
The blond haired boy blinked, looking up at the healer. Few people ever pronounced his name right, fewer still said it accented. "Weet je Nederlands?" He questioned automatically, forgetting to phrase the question into English. But the warmth in those brown eyes showed that his question was more than just fine, it was understood.
"Ja, bij mij kommen later. Wij praten." Eric replied quietly, crouching to be on eye level with the small teenager. The offer to talk to the boy in the child's native tongue was one he made easily, and would make to any other student who missed hearing their language. He did, after all, still speak to Alexis in German often, even though the woman's English was quite good now. He watched the child's eyes light up and he smiled softly at him, before easily switching back to English. "It is rude, Nikolaas, to switch languages in the middle of a conversation, especially if part of the group does not speak that language. You know this." He chided softly, but it honestly didn't bother him any and the child would realize that.
"Sorry Eric." Nick shrugged, letting his happiness show. He finally had someone to speak to! He missed it, missed his language so much. But after his Grandma had passed away, he had been passed from relative to relative until he ended up with his father. Which is how he ended up here this summer. Three years with his father had made him malnourished, underweight and short. It had also made him afraid of shadows and willing to fight his way out of anything. Because he had nothing to lose, right? What was worse, to him anyway, was that he had known love for nearly ten years, had been raised in love. To suddenly be hated and beaten...it almost made him wish to not know what love felt like, because he had missed that love so much. He had missed someone caring for him and protecting him. Perhaps, in a way, he had that type of care here; perhaps he might even find a family to love him like his grandmother did. Even if he didn't, he knew he was safe here. Mostly, anyway. What had caused this scuffle, as it wasn't really a fight, he had mostly been hitting and kicking Elijah and Elijah had mostly been stopping his blows, was a bully. He had been shoved down and so he had jumped to his feet, but before he could fight back, because his cousins had taught him how to fight back, Elijah was there. And Elijah had told the other boys to pick on someone their own size, not to mess with the little kids. But he wasn't a little kid! He wasn't a kid, anyway. He knew he was little; even without the starvation he had been small. He just didn't like being called little. It made him sound weak and he wasn't weak! No matter what that bastard of a father said! "Elijah called me little." He added finally, meeting the tall man's eyes. Eric towered over him and it would have made him uncomfortable, but the man always lowered himself to their level. Always.
Eric forced back a chuckle, shaking his head slightly. He was quite sure that wasn't the whole truth but that was alright. It was something and he could probably guess the rest. But there was something he needed to fix first. "You are little, Nikolaas. But you will not remain little, as you are due a growth spurt soon. There is nothing wrong with being small though, sometimes I wished I was smaller. But not when I was young, because I was also the smallest of my class when I was your age." He remarked firmly, smirking at both of the teenagers. It was true, of course. He had once been that small and he had grown to be just over 190 centimeters. But he also knew that the younger boy would not grow to be that tall, not even close.
"Yes sir. May I go?" Nick requested, grimacing slightly. He so wanted to grow, and soon. He hated being the smallest of his year group. Even some of the healthy twelve year olds were taller than him! But if the healer said he would grow, he'd grow. He liked Master Eric, the man never fussed or treated him like a child. He just spoke to them like equals. And he was wise enough to know that it was rare for an adult to do that, at least the adults he had known.
"You may. Stay out of trouble, please. No more fights." Eric ordered, watching the boy for a moment. He didn't really need healing, besides that lip. With a gentle touch of his finger, the boy's split lip was healed and the child grinned up at him, turning to dash off. "Nikolaas. Don't forget what I said. You may come speak to me, in any language, any time you wish." He called. A wave and a cheeky grin was his only answer. He turned back to the child left with him, the one who he had placed a hand on his shoulder, to keep him there. "You tried to defend him, Elijah?" He questioned quietly, glancing at the boy. He beckoned to him, heading down the hallway. He wanted to assess the child's bruises, some of them had came back as severe, and that wasn't something he could do in the hallway.
"I don't need the hospital wing." Elijah snapped, glaring at the older man. He did follow though, reluctantly. He didn't need Alexis to find out that he had been ignoring a healer...again.
"Oh? I believe otherwise. However, we are not going to the infirmary." He glanced back at the child briefly, before resuming his journey. He wasn't taking the child to the infirmary, for several reasons actually, but instead to his and Tim's quarters. He knew the other man was in a session and perhaps the boy would relax in a less formal setting. He stopped at the door, tapping it with his hand twice before opening it.
He hesitated for a moment but finally took a cautious step into the room. He trusted the healer, he knew Eric would not harm him. He gazed around the sitting room curiously, spotting the small kitchenette that nearly mirrored the one in Alexis' quarters. It wasn't that much different from the one in Severus and Remus' quarters either, just a bit smaller. And cleaner, much cleaner. But the sitting room was different. For one, all of the chairs were leather; the end tables and the desk that was stuck in one corner, were all of a high quality wood, he just wasn't sure what quite of wood. The walls were muted creams and the throw pillows were all dark colours, The room looked nice, it looked expensive...it looked like it had never hosted children before.
Eric smirked at the child, watching his eyes jump from place to place. He knew that their quarters were a bit different from the rest of the Professors, but they were just as homey. Tim had once suggested getting more durable furniture, but he wasn't really worried about it. The youngest child they had taken care of was Alexis, and she had been fifteen. Granted, between her and Remus, they had to replace some of the furnishings, but furniture was replaceable and it wasn't like they didn't have the money. He gestured toward a footstool, raising an eyebrow at the boy. "Sit, please. I would like to take a look at your bruises, particularly the ones covering your back." He ordered briskly.
Elijah scowled, glaring at the older man for a long moment before finally sitting on the leather footstool. "I'm fine." He shrugged, tapping his foot restlessly. And he was fine, little Nick hadn't done much harm to him, beside that one good punch that had connected with his cheek. Any other injuries he had were not important, nor did he want the healer to question them.
"Oh? Remove your shirt please." Eric requested, meeting the boy's eyes firmly. Although he could scan him with his wand, it did help to see the injuries and he needed skin contact for his method of healing. The child glared at him but he merely waited, knowing that he would give in eventually. They always did. "When you defended Nikolaas, did the other boys become angry?" He asked causally, not expecting much of an answer.
He grumbled, folding his arms across his chest. He was not removing his shirt. He was fine. There was nothing to see, nothing to heal. And why did Eric think that there had been something else besides him and Nick fighting? There had been, but the older man hadn't been there. Elijah wasn't even sure if he should answer the man. He didn't want to get anyone in trouble. But then, nothing had happened, so they couldn't really get into trouble. Could they? "What other boys?" He growled finally.
"The ones who push Nikolaas. His knees showed the impact from being pushed. Unless you push him." Eric responded, shaking his head at the child. He knew that the teenager would not have done so; Elijah was no bully.
He grimaced, glaring at his shoes for a moment. "I didn't, no. And yeah, they did. But they won't mess with me." He replied nonchalantly. It wasn't a big deal, really. The other boys would pretty much just leave him alone. Because he knew how to fight back. It might also have something to do with Bain always looking out for him. And he looked up to the older teenager, he liked talking with the older teenager; they even shared secrets. Well, he shared his secrets and talked to Bain about Teddy. None of the bullies would mess with Teddy and his two friends. Because when Bain wasn't with them, he was. And when neither of them were, Ariana or an adult was near by. And Karrie could cast some mean hexes.
"I see. Were they the ones to cause the bruises to your back?" He asked, making a note to keep an eye out for a group of bullies. It was bad enough when there was just one, but for that bully to have a group around him now...there was no telling the damage they could do unless stopped.
"My back's not bruised!" He snapped, scowling at the man. Green eyes met warm brown for a moment before he flushed, looking away.
"Then you have nothing to hide. Show me." Eric ordered briskly, arching a brow once more. For someone who wasn't injured, the child was certainly acting like it.
Elijah bit his lip, taking a deep breath. If he showed the older man, he'd ask questions. Or worse, he'd tell Alexis. And he really didn't want to explain. It was so stupid. It wasn't even from a fight or anything. It was just a stupid accident. But if he didn't show him, the healer might tell Alexis he was being difficult and then she would be displeased with him. Wouldn't she? She would get fed up with him and then she wouldn't want him anymore. He knew it was really only a matter of time, but he liked being in her quarters, liked being around her. And maybe if she knew he was stupid, she'd stop caring. "Promise you won't tell." He demanded finally, looking up to meet the man's eyes once more.
Eric furrowed his brows in concern, sitting on the arm of the nearest armchair. " That depends, Elijah. If you are harming yourself or if someone else is harming you, I have to report it. It is in my oath. If it is something else entirely, then of course I will keep it between us. I would never betray your confidence, unless you were a threat to yourself or another. Then I would have to inform the Headmistress and the Head of Mind Healers, at Hogwarts at least. " He replied slowly, leaning forward slightly. He had heard the fear in the child's voice, fear that worried him. Was someone hurting this boy? Here? And if so, who? He knew none of the adults here would hurt a child, at least he hoped that was true. But the child was clearly afraid of something.
"No one hurt me and I didn't hurt myself. Promise?" Elijah frowned, scrunching his face in thought for a moment. The healer had sounded concerned, wary too. Like he didn't want to make a promise he couldn't keep. But he hadn't been harming himself and no one had hurt him. So the dark skinned man could keep it, right?
He hesitated for a moment, before finally nodding. "Alright, Elijah. I promise you that I won't repeat anything that you tell me here. This, like my office and the infirmary, is a safe space. You can speak freely here." He sighed softly, watching the child carefully. He had said as much before, that he wouldn't repeat what the child said, but he understood the teen's wariness and need for an actual, verbal promise. The boy barely trusted him; it was understandable, giving the life the child had lived before this summer. None of the children really knew how to trust and this one was no different. Hopefully, it would be a promise he could keep, so that he could keep building up that fragile trust.
He took a deep breath, closing his eyes and slowly pulling his shirt over his head. He then turned on the stool, so that his back faced the older man and not his scarred chest. But his scars weren't as bad as some of Bain's; he had seen the older teen's back once, after all. And he knew Teddy had lots of scars, perhaps his scars weren't even as bad as the preteen's. Elijah flinched violently, feeling a gentle hand touch the middle of his back. He hadn't been expecting it, although he knew that the healer would not hurt him.
"Easy Elijah." He murmured soothingly, stilling his movements for a moment until the child relax a bit. Eric frowned slightly, gently moving his hand over the large bruise once more. The bruise covered most of the boy's lower back and he could see the scrape that his magic had detected. It went down the side of the bruise, where the bruise was darkest, and there were... "Why are there rocks imbedded in your back, Elijah?" He inquired, raising an eyebrow at the mess that was the child's back. Unless someone had shoved him and the boy had fallen very hard, he couldn't explain this injury.
" 'Twas an accident." He shrugged, grimacing slightly and making a face at the brief flare of pain. Mostly he had been ignoring it, and he might have stolen a pain potion from Bain's room as well. It had made his dizzy at first but the pain was still mostly gone and he had taken it last night!
His frowned deepen, eyes scanning the child's back once more. He rocked back on his heels, kneeling on the floor still. Why hadn't the child complained of the pain? It had to hurt, there was no way it couldn't. The abrasion must have bled even, although probably not much. He knew it would bleed when he removed the rocks and cleaned it. He would have to move the child to laying on his stomach, otherwise it would be difficult to keep the child still once he started removing the pieces of rock. "How much pain are you in?" Eric asked quietly, gently running his fingers over the abrasion, feeling for hidden splinters of rock.
Elijah shrugged. "None, really."
"Did you take something?" He asked softly, dangerously.
He grimaced. "No sir." He lied smoothly, biting his lip. He wasn't sure how the healer would react if he told him the truth and he probably would tell Alexis and then he'd get in trouble for sure.
Eric turned the child's chin, moving slightly so that he could watch the boy's face. "Elijah, if you did I must know. Otherwise, any potion I give you might cause harm without knowing what you took." He explained quietly, frowning at the teenager. He didn't like being lied to but he also knew that the boy was probably trying to stay out of trouble. Because he had clearly not gone to any adult for a pain potion, otherwise they would have asked questions.
He hesitated, bouncing his leg for a moment. "I don't know what it was sir. It just said 'Pain Draft IX' on it." Elijah muttered, not looking at the man.
He paled slightly, staring at the child. "Where did you get that?" He demanded softly, forcing himself to remain calm. The boy merely shrug and he sighed in exasperation. "Elijah." He ordered dangerously, capturing the child's eyes once more.
"Bain's room, sir. He'll kill me. He didn't know I took it." He spilled out in a rush, taking a deep breath. He didn't like the way the healer was looking at him, not at all. "I just though it was a normal pain potion." He added lamely, ducking his head.
Eric took a deep breath, casting a deep scan of the child's organs before finally calming slightly. Until, that is, the rest of what the child said hit him. Bain's room. Bain should not have such a restricted potion in his room, he should not even be brewing it yet. He shouldn't be brewing it for another year at the earliest. He stood quickly, moving rapidly toward the floo. A pinch of powder and he knelt before it, murmuring the password to Severus' floo. He waited a moment, before a head appeared with a raised eyebrow.
"Eric?"
"Bain has Finem Pati in his room." He answered quickly, meeting the younger man's eyes. The Potion Master paled and swore, giving him a brief nod before canceling the call quickly. He turned back to the teenager, biting back a sigh at the hint of betrayal in the boy's eyes. But he could breath easier now that someone was aware, that Severus would check on Bain and confiscate the potion. "You are lucky, Elijah. The potion is not for children, nor to take lightly. It has been known to shut down the organs of a child, but usually that happens within the first few hours. But you cannot have any pain potions for at least 24 hours after it wears off." He watched the child for a moment longer, transfiguring the couch into a bed. He gestured to it, shaking his head slightly. "On your stomach please, so that I can tend to your back." He ordered quietly.
Elijah groaned, glaring at the older man for a moment before moving to the bed and laying down on it. "He'll hate me now." He mumbled quietly, mostly to himself.
Eric chuckled, summoning his basic healer kit with a wave of his hand. "No he won't. As his Master, Severus has a right to know when his apprentice is doing something dangerous. That potion is dangerous. He shouldn't be brewing it, not yet." He ran a wet flannel over the abrasion, gently removing as much of the imbedded dirt as he could. "So, how did this accident occur?"
He sighed, staring blankly at the wall for a long moment. The worse the man could do was laugh. "Promise not to laugh?" Elijah asked slowly, grimacing at another flash of pain. Merlin, it hadn't hurt until the man tried to heal him!
"Promise." He replied solemnly, picking up a pair of tweezers. He was quite glad the boy couldn't see him, as this part made most children fidgety and nervous. But if he kept the child talking, he would be done quickly. He could tell the potion was wearing off, even if it was doing so slowly. He would not be able to give the child a potion, although a bit of magic might help with the pain once he was done.
"I was trying to impress a boy. But I fell." He tried to shrugged, but couldn't really. He had been trying to impress Robert and he had fallen. He was actually surprised he hadn't broken anything. It had hurt like hell. "I was on one of the courtyard walls, walking across the ledge. My friends and I were messing about and I said I could do a flip off of it...I managed the flip."
Eric bit his lip, fighting down a chuckle. Typical teenaged boy. "But you didn't manage the landing, eh?" He teased gently, prying the last bit of rock out of the child's back. He cleaned it quickly, before dressing the wound and starting to gently massage a bruise balm onto the boy's back.
He grinned at the mattress, eyes lighting up for a moment. He would have to work on his landings. The others had laughed, at first, except for Robert. Robert had been concerned and had punched him, gently, in the shoulder for doing something so stupid. He liked that the other boy cared for him. Even if Robert was older than him, it wasn't by much. Not really. "Yeah. Hurt like hell. But it was worth it." Elijah replied lightly, smirking at the healer's groan.
"Yes, a bruise covering your back and an abrasion that will take a couple of treatments to heal must have been worth it. Was your friend impressed? Or was he upset?" He stated dryly, shaking his head at the boy's conclusion, steady hands make quick work of the rest of the child's back.
"He was worried, I guess. Am I done?" Elijah replied, turning his head to look at the healer.
"Hm, almost. You will sleep for a bit and then you may leave." Eric replied firmly, rubbing an oil over the child's back before letting the magic flow from his fingers, gently easing the child into sleep. That way he would sleep through the potion ending and leaving his system, he would sleep through the worst of the pain.
Elijah groaned, but his eyes felt heavy and he didn't even want to roll over. He felt the healer place a pillow under his head and he closed his eyes, letting of a soft sigh.
"Sleep child." Eric whispered soothingly, running a hand across the boy's back before summoning a quilt and tucking it around the child. He set an charm to let him know when the boy awoke, it would be a couple hours at least, before straightening up and picking up his bag. He did have a child coming to the infirmary, after all.
-x-
Severus was furious...and concerned. The concern and worry had come first, of course. But the anger had quickly followed it. He had not been able to find his apprentice, but he had managed a thorough search of the child's room. What he had discovered had not made him happy. The boy had a case, a case!, of restricted potions, potions he shouldn't even have the recipes for! Whatever the boy was up to wasn't good, not with those potions. He was not looking forward to the conversation he would have to have with the younger man. But he also knew he needed to calm down before he spoke to Bain, otherwise he might say something that he would regret. He also had a potion to administer first, which was why he was currently walking to the infirmary. He couldn't floo with the potion, it was too much of a risk and it wasn't worth the risk. Not when a little girl's life was hanging in the balance here. The walk also helped lessen the anger; he needed to be calm and gentle for this child's sake. She would probably be terrified.
-x-
Alexis bit back a sigh, stepping into the main room of the infirmary. She could hear the arguing from the private room they had set up for Mia's use and as Eric was busy getting the child ready, she would handle the problem, whatever it might be. She scanned the room for a moment, easily spotting Jemma, the healer on duty, and the three girls she was arguing with. She didn't like the way the youngest of the group was cowering away from the healer, at all.
"I can't heal her if she won't be still!" Jemma snapped again, glaring at the teenager.
"She's afraid of you! Of course she wouldn't let you touch her. Where's Eric?" The blond growled, standing protectively between the two younger girls and the healer that she couldn't stand. Jemma was so condescending to the younger teens and rude to the older ones. Gods, she hated the woman!
"I am in charge. I will tend to her, move!"
"Don't fucking touch me!"
"Ariana, enough." Alexis ordered dryly, quickly striding to get between the two. She frowned at the smirking healer, rising an eyebrow at the woman. "I will handle it, Jemma. You may go." She drawled coldly, locking gazes with the woman. Jemma was suppose to be a good healer, but none of her references had told her how the woman treated children. If she didn't straighten up, the woman wouldn't make it to the beginning of the term. The woman huffed at her, turned her nose up and stalked away. Definitely wouldn't make it. She sighed softly, turning her eyes to the three girls. Ariana and Karrie dropped their protective stances, although it was concerning that Karrie was supporting the little blond's weight. "Let's move this to an examination room, shall we?" She suggested quietly, kneeling to be on eye level with the little eleven year old. The child relaxed slightly, no longer cowering, and gave a small nod, lifting her arms up in a silent demand. Alexis chuckled, straightening and lifting the child onto her hip. She carried the girl into a nearby room, sensing the two teens following her. She eased Lila onto an examination table, closing the door with a wave of her hand. A quick spell later and she frowned. "What happened to your ankle, Lila?"
The little blond shrugged, glancing at her sister and then at Karrie. It had been an accident. Aria had left her for a few minutes, to chase down Karrie, and she had decided to do cartwheels. Which was fine, until she tried a front hand spring. She had never managed it before and Aria had promised to teach her but her sister was always busy or distracted. So she tried it and she stumbled on a rock, her ankle had hurt. But she tried again and again. When she finally got it, her foot hurt so much, she fell. And then Aria and Karrie had come back and they had started walking back to the school and she had been limping. Her sister had been worried. But she was fine. It just hurt a little.
"I think she fell." Ariana sighed, grimacing at the raised eyebrow that was sent her way. "I...went away for a couple of minutes and when I came back she was limping." She admitted quietly, looking away. The silent twelve year old beside her shifted uncomfortable, her eyes locked on the floor.
"I see." She sighed, shaking her head slightly. And she did see, she understood exactly what the child meant. If the tethering spell between Karrie and Ariana was anything to go by, the younger of the two had tried running. Repeatedly, as Ariana wouldn't use such a spell, wouldn't put the younger girl on a leash, if she hadn't run several times, if her safety wasn't in question. The fact the the youngest child had been alone long enough to get hurt meant that Ariana had gone to find Karrie. She ran her hand across the youngest child's ankle, feeling the swelling with a shake of her head. "Sprained." She murmured, removing the child's shoe and sock with ease before letting her magic flow into the child's foot. It appeared that the girl had twisted it and then sprained it by playing and ignoring the pain. "What were you doing that caused you to sprain your ankle?" Alexis questioned, looking up from her work to meet the child's eyes. A shrug and a grimace of pain were her only answers. A non-verbal day then. That made nearly a week of the child not speaking to anyone. According to Ariana, this was normal; Lila had often went long stretches of time without talking. But it wasn't exactly normal. The child wasn't selectively mute out of choice. Fear, anxiety, even shyness, but definitely not choice. She eased the pain, straightening the ankle slowly before summoning the stuff to wrap it up. She finished quickly, hardening the wrap so that it would act much as a cast and protect the child's foot from further damage while it finished healing naturally. She caught the girl's eyes once more, moving her hands so that the child could see them before starting to sign slowly to Lila. She was rusty, but it wasn't a skill that was really forgettable.
Blue eyes widened in surprise, her hands instantly forming signs of their own. She hadn't thought that anyone here would know sign language besides her sister. She could communicate this way, that was why Ariana had helped her learn it, and it would be easier. She couldn't speak, not right now. Her mouth didn't want to work and she couldn't find the words. She hadn't found her place here yet, the words just didn't want to come. It was frustrating, because she wanted to speak sometimes. But she never felt like she could and she hated that. She just didn't understand why she could talk sometimes and others she couldn't. Usually she stopped talking when the nightmares got worse. She just didn't know.
Alexis tilted her head to the side, watching the quick fingers. "Hand springs? Lila. You should know better than to attempt something like that without a spotter." She scolded quietly, raising an eyebrow at the girl's series of quick questions. The first of which she really didn't have an answer to.
Why don't words work? Why do you know signs? Why Karrie always run? Am I in trouble? Her small fingers flashed through the air, hesitating on the last question. She didn't want to ask but she had to know. It was better to know then to not know when she might get hit, although she knew the Headmistress wouldn't hurt her.
"I don't know child, we will figure it out together. You are not in trouble. And that is a question for Karrie." She answered, shaking her head in amusement for a moment. "As to why I know how to sign...before I learned English, I used very basic signs when speaking to those who didn't speak my native tongue. My guardians also taught me universal sign language so that I could communicate easily with those outside the home." Alexis added slowly, forcing down the memories and straightening back up slowly. "Now, can I leave you and Karrie alone for a few moments? I need a word with Ariana." She remarked briskly, raising an eyebrow at the two girls. A murmured yes and a nod were her responses, as well as a scowling teenager. She lifted the little girl down, summoning a jar off of a top shelf. She handed it to the black-haired child, locking eyes with both girls for a moment. "You two may stay in here but no more than three cookies each please."
Karrie grinned, glancing at the giggling younger girl. They could manage that. Or not. They could always just say they forgot how to count. She grimaced when Ariana moved toward the door and the spell tugged at her, glaring at the teenager until the spell suddenly stopped.
"Stay here or I'll stick you to a chair." Ariana ordered quietly, frowning at the small girl before glancing at her sister. "Make sure she doesn't eat herself sick please."She added softly, giving the preteen a small smile before stepping out into the main infirmary once more. She was not looking forward to wherever this conversation might go.
"I would prefer if Lila did not learn to swear before she even starts school." She admonished quietly, gray eyes meeting pale blue for a long moment. That was all she was going to say on the matter, even if the teen's behaviour toward Jemma had been undesirable, the woman had been acting much the same. "Now, tell me what is happening with Karrie?" She requested, casting a one-way silencing spell, so that they could hear the girls but their conversation would be private.
Ariana sighed, shaking her head. "I don't know, she wouldn't talk to me. Bain and I have been trading off, taking turns with the trio, but the boys wanted to fly. She keeps running today, her and Harry both. She kept running from activities and Rani just got fed up. Kate and Mary were planning on talking to her but she won't stop running from them every time they try. She's not even going to her safe space, Alexis. She keeps running toward the forest." She answered slowly, thinking it through. She was even getting frustrated with the younger girl but she understood why the preteen ran so much. But that didn't make it alright. The child was hurting, she couldn't just keep trying to run from her problems, her past.
She frowned, letting the worry show for a moment. "Alright. I'll see if she will speak with me." She responded briskly, eyes catching sight of her brother easily. He was exiting the room they had set up for Mia. "Or perhaps she would be comfortable with Sev." She murmured, mostly to herself, beckoning to him.
Ariana scowled, glaring at the older woman for a moment. "I can manage her just fine." She growled, grimacing when the Headmistress merely raised an eyebrow at her.
"I know you can, Ariana. You take good care of those two girls but you shouldn't be solely responsible for them. I am responsible for them and for you. You need a break, a chance to be a teenager. And perhaps Karrie will relax enough with Severus and Remus to talk to them. If nothing else, they hadn't spent all day chasing her, so they should have a chance to do so." She replied softly, understanding quickly that the girl wasn't trying to be rude; she just thought that she doubted her abilities. And she didn't. Ariana was good with the girls and good for the girls, but the teenager needed to have a chance to be a child as well. She shouldn't be responsible for two preteens; she needed a chance to live her life.
She rolled her eyes, glancing at the man who had joined them. "I'll get the girls." She murmured, disappearing back into the room.
Severus raised an eyebrow, turning his gaze to his sister. He had an apprentice to find and discipline, but he wasn't looking forward to telling her what he son had done. He would talk to the boy first, he decided, just so that he knew exactly what was going on, before he talked to her. "Yes?" He drawled, tilting his head slightly.
"Karrie is in a running mood today, it seems. Would you like to take her to your quarters?" She replied briskly, raising an eyebrow of her own.
"I have a meeting with my apprentice, but perhaps she would like to bake with Remus. Gods only know that we don't have enough sweets yet." He nodded firmly. If the child would go with him, he would take her. She was his, after all. He softened his features for the three returning girls, giving a half smile to the younger two for a moment. "Afternoon, Lila, Karrie." Hesitant green eyes met his before the girl returned his smile. The youngest grinned at him, tugging causally on his robe sleeve. Still not speaking, then. He bit back a sigh, giving in to the silent request and lifting the child into the air. He tossed her lightly, catching her with ease before swinging her back to her feet with a fit of giggle. "What did you do to yourself?" Severus nodded pointedly to her foot, furrowing a brow when the child merely shrugged. "I see. Well, don't do it again." He admonished quietly, turning to his own child. "Karrie, would you like to return to our quarters? I believe Remus might be up for a round of baking. He mentioned something about fudge."
She turned slightly jealous eyes away from Lila and to the floor, before registering what he said. She had no reason to be jealous of Lila, not really. Lila was still a child, still little enough to not feel ashamed for wanting to be held. But she was their ward, not Lila. And Lila managed to get most of the adults to pick her up, she needed the reassurance of being held. But Remus would bake with her and...fudge?! "Yes sir." She smirked, locking eyes with the man for a moment.
He smirked back, knowing quite well that their quarters would probably be a mess when the child was done. But if it made her happy, he could put up with a bit of mess. And he'd just make Remus clean it up. He offered the child his hand, raising an eyebrow at her when she hesitated. But a small palm slowly found its way to his and he grasped it gently, firmly in his own, turning and leading his child away.
Alexis leaned against the wall, watching the two girls leave together not long after Severus had left with Karrie. Hopefully both of the younger girls would speak to her, to anyone, soon. She sighed, straightened and relaxed her movements slightly, turning to enter Mia's room. She needed to check on the child, after all, and Mia would be relaxed if she was relaxed. It would be quite a long day, but that was alright. They had plenty of time.
-x-
He lifted his head from his hands, sitting up straight and settled his mask back over his emotions, turning sharp onyx eyes to his office door. "Enter." Severus called sternly, following the hesitant journey of the teenager.
Bain bit his lip, glancing at his Master with a furrowed brow. He was confused as to why the man wanted to speak to him. They had brewed this morning and Severus had freed him for the rest of the day. So what did the man want now? He hadn't done anything to anger the man, at least he didn't think he had. "Sir?"
"Sit down, Bain. We need to talk." He drawled, nodding to the chair in front of his desk. The boy frowned at him but obeyed, the confusion evident on his face. The teenager had no idea why he was there, but that was about to change and he fully expected anger to show itself.
"About what, sir?" He tilted his head slightly, not quite sure what was going on. What had he done to cause Severus to be so serious? He couldn't recalled doing anything recently, at least anything that the older man would find out about. Had he?
He paused for a long moment, studying the younger man intensely before reaching down beside his desk and picking up the case of potions. He set it on the desk, watching the teenager the entire time. "I was hoping you would explain where you got these potions." He replied briskly, unzipping the case and gesturing toward the vials. It still upset him to know that the young man had these, never mind the fact that he probably brewed them. But that he had restricted potions, potions he needed a license to brew, that upset him. The child could easily ruin his own future if these fell into the wrong hands or if the board found out he had restricted potions and wasn't disciplined for it. The young man had broken the rules he had set for him, the consequences he had clearly outlined. This would be something neither of them enjoyed.
Bain froze, blue eyes widening for a moment. He had recognized the case instantly, he just didn't know how his master had gotten hold of it. He kept it under his bed, after all. He schooled his face to bland disinterest, forcing down his emotions immediately. "I don't know what you are talking about." He shrugged, not meeting the man's eyes.
"I would suggest not lying to me. You are in enough trouble as is." Severus purred silkily, glaring at the younger man. "Now, where did you get this?" He demanded softly, dangerously. He was fighting to keep his own anger under control; it wouldn't do for him to go off on the younger man.
"Why were you in my room?" He growled back, eyes snapping up to meet the older man's briefly. The man had no right to snoop around his room! None!
"You are my apprentice and a teenage boy. I was informed that you had potions you shouldn't. I went to find you but since I could not locate you, I checked your room, as is my right as your Master." He drawled dryly. "Where did you get these?" He questioned again, letting the smallest bit of his fury show through.
Bain grimaced, glaring down at his lap. The man shouldn't have been in his room! It wasn't fair! Because if he told him the truth, he'd get in trouble. If he lied, he'd get in trouble. Either way, he'd be in trouble. He remembered the promised punishment for breaking certain rules, and he had practically broken them all. He hadn't thought he would get caught, damn man. And there was no way out of this, he couldn't deny he had the potions, that they had just magically appeared in his room. Because the labels were in his handwriting and his magic was infused into the potion. Severus would check; he knew the man well enough to know that if he lied to him, he'd check the potions. Nothing else to do then except tell the truth. "I brewed them." He growled finally, bouncing his foot in agitation.
"Why?"
The quiet question was enough to cause him to look up. He could hear the disappointed in his master's voice, and the worry. Why should the man be concerned? He had just been brewing, in secret true, but he had just wanted the escape. Didn't he have a right to privacy, to secrets, to doing as he pleased? "I wanted to." Bain snapped, shrugging nonchalantly.
Severus took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment and forcing his temper back down. "Oh? So you brewed a dozen different restricted, mastery level potions because you wanted to? That's not good enough. You risked your life and the life of everyone at this school, should you have made even one mistake. You risked your future and for what? Because you wanted to? Unacceptable." He growled dangerously, leaning forward and placing his hands on his desk. Merlin, but this child was testing his nerves! There had to be another reason, something the boy wasn't saying. He just had to find a way to get the truth.
He glared at him stubbornly, folding his arms across his chest and decidedly not answering. It would do him no good, after all. The older man had probably already made up his mind about what a waste of time he was, so there was no need to even try to explain.
"Bain, please. Tell me why you did this, tell me what caused this. Who were the potions for? Were you intending to take them?" He broke the silence finally, after several long, tense minutes. That was his fear, that the child planned to take the potions. They were restricted for a reason after all and many of them had been used for suicide in the past, usually by a mastery potions or healer student who just couldn't do it anymore. Or to get high, in the right dosages, but there were simpler, safer potions for that, ones that wouldn't kill him if the dosage was just a bit off.
"What? No! I wasn't, I swear." He gaped, staring at the older man for a long moment. He wouldn't do that, he couldn't. Well...he could but he didn't feel that way. Not anymore. Once upon a time he would have jumped at the end the potions could offer if mixed correctly, but not now. Now he had something to live for, didn't he? He was quite certain that he did. His family, his new family, that was worth living for. "I wouldn't, Severus. I'm not...I'm not suicidal. I just wanted..I guess I wanted to experiment. They are restricted yes, but most of them aren't safe for children and some of the children here could have really used them. So I tried to alter them, just a bit. I wanted to see if I could do it, if I was capable of doing something like that. And I just...I just wanted to do something to help. I didn't want them to ever have to suffer like that again. I wanted to stop the pain, to make it better. But I didn't know if I could and I didn't want you to be ashamed of me when I failed. Some of them clearly failed." Bain admitted finally, gazing at the open case instead of meeting the man's eyes. Yes, he had gone behind his back and experimented, on a potion that he had never brewed before no less, but all he wanted to do was help. He felt so useless and helpless sometimes, he just...he didn't want anyone to have to suffer like that and the potions would help. If they worked, which they probably wouldn't. He blinked suddenly, staring at an empty space. One of his potions was gone and Severus said someone informed him...Elijah! "Damn that child! Is he-"
"Elijah is fine, last I heard. He is sleeping through the potion leaving his body but it did no harm. It did mask his pain for nearly twenty-four hours but it did nothing to heal his injury. When you are allowed to brew again, we will work on this together." Severus answered quickly, hearing the fear in the teenager's voice. He took a calming breath, letting his mind wander for a moment. The child wanted to help, but he was going about it the wrong way. And while there might be something else there, he had a feeling that the child was telling the truth. But he had thought they had already dealt with him brewing experimental potions alone, let only a mastery potion. And trying to change a mastery potion at this early in the stage! It was more than just dangerous, it was deadly. He would examine the potions and the child's notes later. It was unlikely that any of them would fully work at this stage, but it might be a project that the child could do when he attempted his mastery. "Attempting to alter a mastery level potion is foolish and dangerous when you have not even managed to alter a basic potion. You could have gotten yourself killed! I want all of your notes on these potions, as well as all of your potion equipment and ingredients, this evening." He admonished firmly, raising an eyebrow when the child didn't even look at him. His posture shouted defiance but he knew that the teenager was just upset and angry.
Bain growled under his breath for a moment, glaring at the floor. He didn't want to give up his brewing stuff! Brewing helped him, it took his mind off of life because he could just get lost in a potion. He could just brew, without any feeling or emotion, and he needed that. Badly. But he knew there was no fighting this, it was his fault after all. He had gone behind the man's back, he had done something dangerous and he even recognized that it had been dangerous. He just hoped the man would still want him as an apprentice after this. "For how long?" He inquired finally, glancing up at the man.
"Until you prove responsible enough to brew alone. You are grounded for two weeks and restricted from brewing unless I am present. You are also not to be in the lab alone. I also want an essay on these potions, what could have gone wrong and why you are not suppose to brew mastery level potions." He bit back a sigh, hating what he would have to do next and knowing quite well that the younger man would hate him for it, if only temporarily. But he also knew that the teenager needed the consequences and this was one lesson that stuck faster with a sore bottom. He wasn't looking forward to this but he had warned him and he always followed through on his warnings. He pushed his chair back slightly, to give himself room, meeting the young man's eyes for a long moment. "Now, I believe I promised you trip over my knees if you ever tried to brew a mastery level potion or experiment alone. You not only decided to experiment alone, again, but you also decided to experiment on a mastery potion, one that you have yet to brew, alone and without my knowledge. You endangered your life by doing so and you endangered your career. If the board found out you brewed a mastery potion before you were ready and without supervision, and that you were not disciplined for it, they would not allow you to gain your mastery." He added briskly, raising an eyebrow at the teenager. He knew he was repeating himself a bit, but it was important that the younger man understood. The Potions Examination Board would not grant him his mastery, even if the three Masters who tested him said that he should be a Master, if they uncovered that he had done something as foolish as attempt a mastery potion before his Master granted permission. If he was disciplined for it, they would ignore it, because all apprentices experimented and tried to prove that they were capable. But if he wasn't, they would say he was a loose canon, that he had no control, or that his intentions were not suitable for that of a Potions Master or Master Creator. He knew he would have to give the boy the book with everything that the Board considered soon; the next two weeks would be spent on theory and controlling that damn temper, so lessons on the Board and requirements could easily fit in,.
"You grounded me! Isn't that enough?" He snapped, flushing slightly. He knew the man had gone easy on him last time and that this time would not be the same. He liked sitting, thank you very much, and it was mortifying. He was seventeen after all, much to old for a smacking.
"I promised you a smacking, Bain. There is no getting out of it. And no, the Board would not count a grounding." Severus drawled, sighing softly. He didn't like it either but he was the boy's master and he had promised him a smacking, so he would do it. Besides that, the majority of masters, in all disciplines, used smackings and stinging spells on their apprentices. It was more than just normal, it some disciplines it was even required. Healing, for example, required the Master to be willing to spank their apprentice, because guilt often came with being a healer and the healing profession lost the highest number of apprentices to suicide; making them feel punished for that guilt helped bring that number down. The healers had even done a study on it, because they would study anything. He only gave smackings when they were absolutely necessary, usually for endangering themselves or someone else. He was more liberal with stinging spells, as they were useful in stopping someone who was attempting to run from him or storming off. As much as he would love to just cast a stinging spell at the child, he knew a smacking was necessary here. The boy could not do something so foolish again and a sore bottom would make him think it through next time. It had worked on him, and he would even reluctantly admit that it stilled worked on him, so he knew it would work on the child. "Come Bain, let's get this over with child. I don't like this anymore than you do." He ordered softly, beckoning the the boy.
He hesitated, looking down for a long moment. The disappoint in the man's eyes was almost too much. Bain hated that he had been the one to put it there and he knew that this would be nothing like his father's beatings. Because Severus was only spanking him because he gave a damn about him and his future, not for his own sadistic pleasure. Indeed, the man seemed to hate the idea just as much as he did. He nodded and obeyed, standing and moving to drape himself awkwardly over the man's lap.
-x-
He sighed softly, rubbing soothing circles into the back of the softly crying teenager. He hated hurting the child but he knew he had done no lasting damage and the effects would mostly be gone by the morning, if not before then. As it was, he had followed the family rules for smackings. Twice the child age and only with his hand, not that he would spank him with anything other than his hand. He was not his own bastard of a father nor did he want the child to equate him to his father. "Sh, child." He murmured softly, gently pulling the boy up to sit on his lap, arms encircling the lanky teenager.
" M'sorry sir." Bain whispered, burying his red head into the man's shoulder. His eyes stung and his bottom hurt but he felt...lighter somehow? Hiding this and lying to his master had been slowly eating away at him, although those weren't the only things bothering him. And now that it was out in the open and the man had lovingly punished him for it, he felt weirdly better.
"It's alright child. All is forgive." Severus murmured gently, running a hand through the child's hair. Hopefully now the boy would never do that again. He smirked suddenly, stilling holding the teenager tightly. "Now, what to tell your mother?" He teased silkily.
He groaned, burying his face deeper in the man's shirt. "Kill me now." He whimpered, peeking up with wide, begging eyes for a moment.
Severus chuckled deeply, shaking his head at the boy. Alexis might kill him but then, she also set similar consequences for her three child, the same rules that they followed within their odd little family. And he knew that while the woman wouldn't be pleased, she just be happy to know her boy was alright. Their family had grown with the addition of these children and it was stronger for it. As it should be.
-x-
A/N- So I figured I'd explain something here. What Lila has is called Selective Mutism. It is something she cannot control and it is usually triggered by something, an event, a change..etc. It doesn't go away but it will become easier for her to talk, once she finds her place, once she is comfortable in a situation.
Case