A/N- Do not own. It took me longer than I wanted, one section sounded too flat to me. So I had to nitpick it. Anyway, here it is. There is a lot of Eric, Tim, and Remus here. You even get to learn a bit about when Eric and Tim first bonded. (Which I might actually write into a later chapter, that story.) And there is some Teddy and Alexis, and a lot of Lila for some reason. She demanded to be written this month. Enjoy. And as always, use your words. Italics with quotation marks are bonded conversations. X's are scene breaks. If I forgot something, let me know.
~Case
-x-
It was not even lunch time yet and he had already broken up two fights, settled three arguments, found a pair of shoes, and convinced a fourteen year old that deodorant wouldn't harm him, really. Just a typical Monday. No one had told him that caring for fifteen teenage boys would take so much out of him. Jake was tired. He wouldn't admit it, but he was. He was helping the other counselors, acting as Head Counselor, keeping an eye on his boys, and trying very hard not to snap at the next person who asked him a stupid question. "Don't hit!" He ordered, frowning at two of his boys for a moment before they moved away from each other. He might be tired, but that didn't mean he wasn't always watching.
Elijah grumbled, scoffing his foot into the ground. Jake had finally gotten tired of their constant restlessness and taken all of his bunk outside to run off some energy. Fifteen of them, although only some were running about. Isaac, for one, with his leg bound in a cast, was sitting under a tree reading. The other boy was always reading, it was kind of boring. But then, he wasn't much for reading. Elijah frowned, catching sight of a running blur. He turned to see it better, tilting his head when he recognized that blur. What was Lila doing out here? And why was she alone? He glanced toward Jake, but the older man was busy scolding two boys. He watched her for just a second before moving quickly toward her. Lila was too little to be out here alone, especially with all the older boys around. Or with Derek around, he should say. Although the bully had never even gone near the little girl. His longer legs helped him reach her before she was too far away. "Lila!"
She stopped suddenly, turning to stare at him. She bit her lip for a moment, glaring at the older boy. But this was Elijah, he often looked after Karrie. He wouldn't harm her. She didn't want to go in though. She didn't want to talk to anyone! It was too loud! She stomped her foot, glaring up at him.
"Lila, why don't you come back with me to Jake? You can't be running around by yourself, especially this close to the lake." Elijah suggested, reaching out a hand to the younger girl.
"Nooo!" She shrieked, slapping his hand away. The hurt expression in his eyes almost made her give in. Almost. But she didn't want to go back to the castle. She was angry and no one understood!
He gaped at her for a moment. She had spoken. Well, yelled really. But it was a word, a real word. That didn't mean anything though. One word didn't mean she would suddenly start chatting away. "Come on Lila. It's dangerous this far out." He reasoned, holding his hand out again. And then grimacing when she kicked him.
"NO!" She shrieked again, glaring at the older boy. She didn't want to.
"What's going on here?" Jake inquired, coming toward the two children. If his eyes were not deceiving him, the smaller child was Lila. But why was she alone? She was too close to the lake, particularly for a child who could not swim, for comfort.
"I saw Lila running and was trying to get her to come back to our group. She shouldn't be alone." Elijah responded, not looking away from the younger girl.
Lila shrieked again, kicking out at Elijah, but he moved back quickly and Jake was suddenly crouched in front of her, resting a hand on her shoulder. No! She didn't want to. She just wanted to be left ALONE!
"Why don't you come with me, Lila?" He suggested softly, meeting blue eyes until the little girl looked away. Right before she kicked him. He hid a wince, raising an eyebrow at her. "Are we having a tantrum?" He added calmly, dismissing Elijah with a nod and a clasp of his shoulder, before crouching once more. She kicked him again and he sighed. "That's enough."
She wasn't having a tantrum! That was for babies! She wasn't a baby! She should be able to go out on her own! It was too loud. She wanted Ariana! "ARIA!" She shrieked, lashing out with her fist this time. Only for a hand to catch it and she found herself pulled into strong arms.
Jake stood, balancing the younger girl on his hip and swaying slightly with her as he kept a strong hold of her. "Enough Lila. That is enough. We don't behave like this." He remarked firmly, ignoring the little fists that were hitting his back and side. Oh yes, definitely a tantrum. Alexis had warned them that one was coming and he had noticed the girl building up to a supreme meltdown, so it wasn't totally unexpected. What was unexpected was that she had chosen to run outside, away from the castle and her sister. He also wasn't sure what had been the trigger for this. But that didn't matter at the moment. He needed to get the child calm before her magic started lashing out. He kept moving with her, hoping the motion would help her relax.
Lila squirmed. She didn't want to calm down! She wanted to be left ALONE! Why couldn't he understand? Why didn't anyone understand? She shrieked again, wiggling violently. She wanted down!
"Shh, Lila. It's alright. Just calm down. Shh." Jake murmured, wishing that he had a rocking chair at this moment. The teenage boys were so much easier to deal with when they were having a meltdown. Granted, they were also older. Lila was ten. Ten, mostly non-verbal, and frustrated. He would have frequent outbursts too if he couldn't communicate with anyone. He gave a soft sigh when his constant muttered nonsense and the slight bouncing and rocking motions had calmed the screaming, at least. Now the child was crying into his shoulder but she was still kicking him. "Lila? Are you calmer?" He inquired softly, fighting back a grimace when she hit him. Hard.
No! A little. But she didn't want to be calmer. She just couldn't scream any more. It hurt. And it was loud. Everything was too loud. She covered her ears with her hands, shaking her head even as she buried it into his shoulder. She didn't want him to put her down. But she wanted to be left alone. Lila grimaced. She didn't know what she wanted. Her mind was so confusing sometimes.
He raised an eyebrow, tilting his head back so that he could observe the little girl. She was covering her ears. So either she was trying to ignore him or her ears hurt. Or maybe...the noise hurt her ears. The noise of all the students in the castle. Which would explain why she had ran outside. But not why she was still blocking sound. It was a bit quieter out here, although he could still hear the noises his boys were making. But it wasn't nearly as loud as standing surrounded by the boys had been. They were far enough away for the noise to be dim. "Is the noise bothering you?" He asked after a moment. The nod into his shoulder was his answer.
Jake nodded to himself, casting a silencing spell around them. The nearly silent bubble wasn't something he liked, but he knew it would help the child relax some.
Lila blinked, lifting her head up and letting her hands drop away from her ears. It had gotten really, really quiet. She glanced around quickly, reassuring herself that they were in the same place. They hadn't moved. So why had it gotten so quiet? Oh. Magic. Ariana had told her of a quiet spell but her sister had never cast it around her. There had never been the need for it. She leaned into him a bit more, relaxing her tight grip on his shirt. She didn't even protest when he shifted her slightly, so that he could hold her easier. At least he wasn't putting her down. Yet. The quiet helped. She could think in the quiet. She could focus. Sometimes she focused too much, that's what Ariana said anyway. She could get lost in a task for hours. But that wasn't bad. Not really. It was safe. The noise, it wasn't safe. It had been too loud in the castle, even a bit loud out here. It hurt her ears and her head. It made her feel crowded, alone. Different. Scared. She knew she was a bit weird, even if she could talk she would be weird, but the noise made it worse. She had trouble understanding her emotions sometimes and sometimes when it was bad, she just...panicked. Because she didn't like feeling like this. She was confused and sad and angry all at once. It was too much. Too much! But the noise was gone. That helped. At least, she thought it did. She was only ten, after all. She didn't understand everything, didn't understand why so much bad had happened to her. Why she was so bad. But it was quiet. And quiet was good.
He shifted the child slightly, to balance her weight better. She wasn't that heavy, if anything the girl was underweight but holding any child for an extended period of time was hard. So he had been right then. The noise was part of the problem. Perhaps it had even been what had triggered this tantrum. Maybe she had gotten upset or angry and the noise had just set her off. It was possible. He was just happy that she was no longer hitting or kicking him. "I know you don't want to tell me why you are upset. I just want to know how I can help." He murmured quietly, watching the little girl. She wouldn't look up at him, but that was alright. If she was comfortable enough to lay her head on his shoulder and to let him hold her, then he would just hold her and wait for an answer. He refused to speak to this child like she was stupid or couldn't understand him, like some counselors. He knew that she could understand him. She would answer in her own way, either with noises of her own or her hands. She had developed, with the help of Kate and Rani, an exaggerated form of sign language, made mostly of mimics and gestures. It would do until they had mastered sign language or she was able to verbally communicate. He didn't hold much hope for the latter. Not any time soon. The child was non-verbal for a reason. It would not disappear overnight.
Lila shrugged, biting her lip. She didn't know how he could help. The quiet he created helped though. If she could have quiet inside the castle, that might help. And being held. That helped. It made her feel safe. She hesitated for a moment before moving her hands so that he could see them. She placed them over her ears, shaking her head. She then crossed her arms over her chest, hugging herself tight, even as his grip tighten on her so that she would not slip.
So if he could block the noise, that would help. Jake had a solution for that, although it would be temporary until they could buy her a pair. "I think I can help Lila. I need to put you down for a moment. Just a moment." He replied firmly. He had understood the other sign, after all. She wanted to be held. Which was perfectly fine. He set her on her feet, fighting his resolve when pleading eyes stared up at him. But it would only take a moment to conjure it. He unsheathed his wand, ignoring the slight flinch, and quickly conjured a pair of noise canceling headphones. He owned a pair of the bulky. headphones once and he knew they would be perfect for the little girl. He kneel in front of her, placing the headphones gently over her ears before standing and swinging her onto his hip once more. He moved one of the ear pieces to the side for a moment. "That should help with the noise. I'll cancel the spell and then we can head back up. Does that sound good to you?" He asked, meeting blue eyes for the first time since her tantrum started.
Lila thought for a moment before nodding. If the noise got bad again, she could always kick him.
Jake smiled at the girl, resettling the ear piece before canceling the silencing spell. He began the trek back up to his boys, it was time to take them in for lunch, after all. He had a feeling, it was just a feeling, that he might end up eating with a child on his lap. And that would be alright with him.
-x-
"You bit him?" Alexis questioned, leaning forward in her chair. It wasn't even noon yet and already one of her children was in trouble.
Teddy shrugged, glaring down at his swinging feet. It had felt like the best response at the time.
"Perhaps the better question would be, why did you bite him?" Of all of her boys, Teddy was not the one she expected to be in trouble. Particularly for losing his temper and biting someone. Thankfully, the person he bit was old enough to not respond in anger. Although, why her son would bite one of the counselors was beyond her. It wasn't even one of his counselors.
Again Teddy shrugged, stretching his feet out as far as they could, to see if he could touch the desk. He couldn't, not yet. He didn't want to tell her. Usually he could control his anger, he wasn't even angry anymore. He just...reacted. And the man had been taller, and he didn't believe in hitting, because his father had hit, so he bit him. It was simple, really.
"Look at me, Teddy." She ordered, biting back a sigh. She didn't like being hard on any of her children, especially this one. If he wouldn't tell her what happened, she couldn't help him.
He haltingly raised his eyes, staring somewhere off to her left. He was looking at her, just not at her. He didn't want to see the disappointment in her eyes.
"You bit a counselor, Teddy. That's serious. I need to know why." And it was serious. She didn't know if her child had bitten the man because he had made him angry or if the man was harming him or if there was something else going on that she needed to know about. The children lashed out, they tested boundaries, but usually with their own counselors. Paul was more of a mind-healer than a counselor. He worked rotating shifts, so that one of the boy's counselors could have a day off and he occasionally was assigned to look after the grounded children. He rarely spent time with the younger boys and Teddy had never been grounded, to the cabins or to her quarters. Not yet, anyway. Something had happened. She didn't think the man would harm any of the children, but she had to be sure.
"He was talking shit about you." Teddy answered finally, dropping his eyes back to his feet. The man had been trash talking Alexis and that had made him mad. She was his Alexis! No one was allowed to talk about her that way! So he had lunged and bitten the man. He wasn't even sure the two adults had known they were there.
Alexis stared at her child for a moment, blinking. Did he really just say what she thought he did? "Language, Teddy." She reprimanded instantly, fighting to keep from laughing. She knew why Paul was bad mouthing her, at least. And she was willing to bet that whatever conversation her child had overheard, he had missed part of. Otherwise, he might not have bitten the man. It was just astonishing to her how much loyalty and care Teddy had for her, in a such a short period of time. Three weeks. Three weeks and the child was already defending her name. She would have to tell this to Severus later and have a good laugh. But for now, she had a misbehaving child to deal with. "Even if he was talking bad about me, is that reason to bite him Teddy?" She inquired once she had gathered herself together, arching a brow at the boy.
"It seemed like a good idea at the time. He said you could go bite his-"
"Teddy...I don't need a word for word quote son." She interrupted quickly, biting the inside of her cheek. Merlin, if the child kept on, she would break down laughing. Her innocence little thirteen year old did not need to be repeating choice language. Language she would reprimand Paul for later. The counselors knew to keep the swearing to a minimum anywhere that wasn't in their rooms, the meeting room, or her office. She didn't need any of the younger teens learning new, vulgar words.
He blushed, feeling a swell of pride in his chest for a moment. He always got that glowy feeling when she called him son. "Well he did. So I bit his arm instead. I know I shouldn't have. But I was angry and I just reacted. I'm sorry, Alexis. He still shouldn't have said it." Teddy shrugged, peeking up at her for a moment. She didn't look upset, so that was one good thing. He hadn't really thought about it, he just acted. And he knew it was childish to bite someone, but it had just sort of happened.
"Perhaps he shouldn't have. But even if he was wrong, that doesn't make you right. You will need to learn to stop and think before acting, Teddy. You cannot lash out at everyone who is angry at me. There is always going to be someone who is. You will even be angry at me in the future, for one reason or another. It comes with this job, child. I know why Paul was bad mouthing me. And I understand why that upset you. But it cannot happen again. Alright?" She replied firmly, holding brown eyes with her own until he nodded.
"Yes Alexis. I'll try to keep my temper." He answered almost bashfully. He knew he had been wrong and he knew two wrongs didn't make something right. He really just didn't want anyone talking junk about his mother. He kicked his feet for another moment, chewing on his lip. Why had he been trashing her anyway? "Why was he talking bad about you, Alexis?" Teddy inquired, glancing up. He knew it wasn't really his business. But he was curious.
Alexis fought the urge to roll her eyes, meeting her son's gaze. She couldn't tell him the details, nor would she. It wasn't something that concerned him or that he needed to know. But she could give him a brief explanation, one he would understand. "You know how I sometimes make you do things you don't like? Well, I assigned Paul a task he isn't fond of. I understand why he would be unhappy with me and sometimes when people are unhappy, they say things they don't really mean. I bet he was shocked the three of you overheard him." She explained, giving the boy a soft smile when understanding filled his eyes. His two friends had been shocked that Teddy had bitten the man as well. She was just glad that the child understood why it was wrong, that she didn't have to explain that to him. But she couldn't let him get away with it either. "Speaking of things you don't like. You owe me fifty lines: 'I will not bite people'. I also want a paragraph on what you could have done differently. " She added sternly.
Teddy groaned but nodded. It was fair, he supposed. He just didn't like writing lines.
"You may write your lines and paragraph after lunch." She remarked, standing stiffly and stretching. She had to make an appearance at lunch, after all. She also had a counselor to scold. She would leave it up to Teddy whether or not he apologized for biting the man, since he was old enough to understand what he should do. She was pretty sure he would. She would just ask the counselors to use silencing spells when they wanted to curse her for now on. That would save her the headache of an overprotective preteen lashing out to defend her. She hoped, anyway.
-x-
"Stop playing with your food."
Severus frowned, glancing down the long table to where his partner sat. He met Remus eyes for a brief moment before turning back to observing the children at his table.
Huh. That had been a deliberate attempt on his part and it had worked. They hadn't a chance to experiment with this new method yet. After the events of yesterday, Severus had been too tired and too wound up to even try it with. Remus raised an eyebrow at the younger man, who was clearly ignoring him, before trying once more. "Eat. You need to be a good example for the children." He ordered silently, meeting his partner's gaze firmly when the younger man looked at him again.
"Children will do as they do. One of Alexis' bit someone this morning, and last I heard, Alexis hasn't bitten anyone recently." He snark back, smirking when the other man choked.
Remus coughed hard, strangling a laugh. People would think he was crazy if he just started laughing at nothing. Only Severus would make such a joke in such a serious tone. Perhaps the dining hall was not the best place for this experiment.
"Remus? You alright son?" Tim questioned, frowning slightly. The younger man had just started coughing out of nowhere and he knew that the man had seemed a bit distracted in their conversation.
"Fine. Just fine." Remus coughed, taking a slow sip of his water and glaring down toward Severus.
Tim raised an eyebrow, following the man's gaze before it suddenly clicked. Their bond must have finally reached the point. He remembered when that had happened to him and Eric, over twenty years ago now. He wondered if they had gotten to the point of hearing each others every thought yet. Sending messages was the easy part. Controlling how much the other person heard of your thoughts was not. That had been a stressful and painful few weeks for them. He hoped it wouldn't be for the two younger men. They hadn't blood-bonded yet, after all. They might not be able to know everything their partner was thinking or feeling just yet. Merlin, learning to filter the emotions had been taxing as well. He knew, from research, that it didn't happen in every relationship. It only happened in the purest, strongest relationships. But it did happen in every blood-bound couple he knew, to varying degrees of intensity. Perhaps because blood-bonding was the purest form of combining magic and families. And it wasn't something all wizards considered, either. "Do you understand what is happening, Remus?" Tim asked softly, causing the younger man to look at him.
"What?" Remus frowned. He hadn't been paying attention, so he wasn't quite sure if he had missed part of the conversation or if Tim was trying to tell him something, in his own abstract way. He had been glaring at Severus while pretending to survey the students and counselors in his section. The younger man still wasn't eating!
Severus grimaced, feeling a brief flash of stinging pain. He didn't know where it had come from but it had felt, for just a second, like anger. But why was he feeling anger? Anger that wasn't his? And why did it hurt like hell?
"Remus. Look at me." Tim ordered, glancing down the table for a moment. He had recognized that look on the man's face, he had seen Remus upset and angry many times before, and he had seen Severus flinch. The younger of the two looked confused and the man beside him clearly didn't know what he had just done.
He growled low, glaring at the healer. He was angry and he didn't even know why he felt so angry. Severus wasn't listening to him, but that was nothing new. He took a deep breath, turning fully to see Tim. "What?" He inquired again, raising an eyebrow. Only to be met with a raised eyebrow.
He hesitated for a moment, eyes calculating. The younger man was on edge and this was not the place for such a conversation. He was also sure Remus would not heed him. They had both adopted the younger man, but he knew that the brunette saw Eric as the alpha of his pack. Which did sting sometimes, that he saw Eric as more of his father, but he knew that Remus loved him as well. The way the man was shifting, the agitation... "We need to talk. Come on." Tim ordered briskly, standing calmly. He moved with ease, exiting the Great Hall casually so as not to draw attention. He wait several moments outside the door, tapping his foot. He would take the child back to their quarters and summon Eric. This was a conversation that would work best if it was the two of them explaining it, instead of just him. After all, he could only explain what was happening to Severus. He had been where Severus was, but Remus was the dominate in that relationship, by magic's choice and Severus'. He knew the younger of the two hadn't thought he could head a family, hadn't wanted that responsibility. It wasn't in Severus' nature. The man was in charge at work, was second only to Alexis here; by magic's rules, he couldn't also hold familial magic. And that would effect how he felt the bond. Just as Remus' wolf nature and natural ability to calm and guide, would cause him to be able to hold familial magic. The bond's effect of Remus was something he couldn't explain, because he hadn't felt it. Eric had, however. Eric was the dominate in their relationship, for reasons he didn't care to think about. Not now, anyway.
Remus furrowed his brow, stepping calmly into the entrance hall. Why on earth Tim wanted to talk to him out here was beyond him. "What, Tim?"
"Attitude." He scolded automatically, snapping from his own thoughts. "We need to talk, it is important. Our quarters. Go." He added, biting back a sigh.
Their quarters. Eric's and Tim's. Of course Tim would want to talk there. But he hadn't done anything. Had he? Well, if Tim called Eric, then he would know. But Remus would prefer to know going in whether or not he had actually done something. It had been years since they had "needed to talk". That wasn't a tone he was used to from Tim, at least, and it was disconcerting. "Am I in trouble?" He asked finally, keeping up with the older man's fast-causal stride. Tim might pretend like everything was normal, but he could tell something was up.
"Not yet." But he wasn't sure that he wouldn't end up in trouble. It wasn't an easy thing to take in, after all. He remembered quite well how he reacted, and how Eric reacted. It was one of the few times he had seen the older man so shaken. Eric didn't let it show when something bothered or upset him, not often. He could read the man much better after all this years, he could always tell now; but back then that visible sign of his partner being upset had shocked him.
He scowled, stopping just outside the door to Eric and Tim's quarters. The ominous answer was so like Tim and something he hated. He wasn't in trouble, yet. That was so reassuring. Remus bit back a snort, realizing that the sarcastic voice in his head sounded so much like his Severus. He glared at the man who beckoned to him, lounging in the doorway instead.
Tim merely shrugged, touching his finger briefly to the locket he wore under his robes. He resettled the locket, tucking it back into place. If Remus didn't want to enter their quarters, that was fine. He would come in soon enough.
Eric frowned, stepping out of the floo with his hand on his own locket. Tim's message was vague but he could sense that something was wrong. He met Tim's gaze for a long moment before turning his eyes to the doorway. "Come in son and close the door." He ordered briskly, before turning back to his partner. "Well?"
"It has begun."
"Damn. Are you sure?" That was the last thing the young couple needed right now. Trying to raise two hurting children was hard enough; trying to do so while learning a new connection to each other would be so much harder. He had a feeling tempers would be sorely tested and they would be dealing with a melt-down or two.
"It's hard to miss. He caused Severus pain, Eric. I don't think he even realized that he had done it. From what I could see, I believe it just started recently." Tim replied, flopping carelessly onto the leather couch.
"He caused him pain? That's rare. They haven't even finished the bond yet." Eric sighed, watching their son for a long moment. "Have a seat, Remus. We need to talk." He gestured toward an armchair, settling gracefully next to Tim on the couch
"Rare it may be, but it happened to us as well."
"About what?" Remus inquired, dropping casually onto the armchair. He hadn't done anything to be in trouble for, that he could remember anyway, and there were literally dozens of things they might want to talk about. But there were few that they needed to talk about.
He let the silence stretch for several moments, observing his son calmly. The boy shifted occasionally, restless. "About your new-found abilities with your partner."
Oh. That. How they found out about it was anyone's guess and he wasn't quite sure why they needed to talk about it, but he was willing to listen. After all, they had been there. Maybe there was something they could tell him that would help their experiment along faster. "Alright." Remus merely shrugged, sinking back into the leather chair. He loved this furniture but he, unlike Eric, was realistic. Children would quickly destroy leather furniture; at least, that was his limited experience.
They exchanged glances for a moment before Eric turned away from his partner and back to his child. "First, we need to know how far advanced it is. Is this a very recent, sporadic development or a constant connection?"
He frowned, tilting his head for a moment. What he did he mean by advanced? He knew the connection would grow stronger with time, but how much stronger? What would cause them concern? "It started yesterday and it is sporadic. We were planning to experiment with it." Remus replied finally, arching an eyebrow at Tim's barely suppressed flinch. That was interesting.
Eric gently covered Tim's hand with his own, meeting his son's gaze firmly. "I take it you were trying it out earlier, yes? Have you found yourself feeling something that you couldn't explain?" He inquired, rubbing the tension out of Tim's hand. This wasn't an easy subject for his younger partner. They hadn't had someone to tell them what was happening; they had to learn by experimenting. And it had caused both of them a lot of pain and heartache. One of their biggest fights was caused because of it, actually.
He had felt emotions that were out of the ordinary, hadn't he? Right before Tim had brought him up here, Remus had been upset with Severus and there had been a rush of anger from no where. He didn't know where it had come from, or why, but he was willing to bet Eric knew. "Yes sir." The hand gesture for him to continue caused him to bite his lip, just for a moment. He wasn't quite sure how to explain it, especially since he didn't understand himself. "I was upset, but it felt like...anger." He shrugged, staring down at his hands. Which meant he didn't see Tim's reaction. But Eric had sensed it coming on.
Tim grimaced, feeling the hand on his tighten for a brief moment. It was a warning, albeit a silent one. He still understood it. They had to step cautiously here, he knew that, but he also knew what a downhill slide it could be. If someone had told them not to experiment, they probably would have done it anyway. But that didn't mean he couldn't tell the boy would he might accidentally do to his partner. There was no reason for the younger couple to have to suffer through this like they had; they didn't have to struggle through this alone, although they would still have to find their own path, their own connection. It didn't mean they couldn't help. "You were angry, weren't you? Even if it was the tiniest bit of anger, it was there, yes?" He remarked quietly, capturing brown eyes for a moment before the younger man looked away again.
He chewed the inside of the cheek, fiddling with his fingers for a moment. He had been angry, but only for a second. Because he had told Severus time and again about taking care of himself. And now they had children to worry about! The man couldn't just not give a damn about himself. He had tried everything to get Severus to please, just try. But the younger man couldn't, wouldn't. And it was aggravating and irritating and upsetting, and yes, it had made him angry. But why did it matter if he had been angry? It wasn't like they shared emotions. They could just communicate, at least he thought they could. A couple of sentences was really just a trial. It could go away or it could get stronger. He was pretty sure it would be the latter. "Does it matter?" He snapped, glaring at the couple on the couch.
"Attitude." Eric warned automatically, shaking his head. Anger was always the first emotion to be shared, in his experience and from talking with other couples who experienced the same. Not all blood-bond couples felt each others emotions. Even fewer could harm each other with a thought. "It does matter. Anger is a strong emotion and it travels easily. A bond like yours won't stop at conversations. You will eventually fall into the overwhelming stage of hearing each other's every thoughts, even the ones that were meant to be private. And then the emotion sharing..."
"Anger, sadness, joy, frustration. You will feel them all. And so will he. It's hard at first, but it can be controlled. It's even harder when your emotions or thoughts can harm each other. That takes longer to control." Tim finished, leaning into his partner for a moment.
"But we don't harm each other. How is that even possible?" It shouldn't be possible but the expression on both of their faces and the pain, hidden in Eric's eyes, told him it was. That the two men in front of him had experienced it and that this wasn't something they liked to talk about. But Remus also understood why they were telling him. They wanted to save him and Severus some of the pain. "If we don't use this method...will it go away?"
"No. It will become worse. And it will hurt. Your bond needs this connection to grow even deeper. Denying it will cause pain. But not to you. You, son, would feel intense loneliness and bitterness, anger even. The denial would hurt you but it would be more of an emotional hurt, more of an ache." Eric replied firmly. That was not a route the boys would be going down, not if he had anything to say about it. After all, he was not going to let his son repeat his mistakes.
He blinked, frowning at the older man for a moment. "If it only causes an ache to me, wouldn't it be the same for Severus?"
Tim hesitated, chewing his lip for a moment. The child needed to know. He had to know, otherwise...Severus would suffer as he had. And that wasn't acceptable. Not when he could do something about it. "Magic is funny, sometimes, in the way it creates bonds. For magic to be equal, there has to be one party who is more submissive, even if only within the bond, than the other. It doesn't mean one is necessarily weaker than the other or has less magic; usually it is quite the opposite. A couple that is equally matched in power and magic still need roles within a bond. The book on familial magic that talks on how bonds form applies here. While denying the bond will not physically harm you, as the dominate partner, it will harm the more submissive partner. You will feel anger and loneliness, he will feel despair and hopelessness. And it will hurt. The longer the connection is severed, the greater the amount of physically pain he would be in. Yes, with the bond there will be times when you harm each other without meaning to, when you cause each other pain. But that is much better than trying to live without it." He answered finally, meeting the child's eyes for a long moment.
Of course Tim would leave out one major consequence of ignoring the bond for too long. Although, he knew why. It still hurt the younger man, even over twenty years later. Not physically, but mentally...that was the first time he had forced Tim to see a mind-healer. "It nearly destroyed us and...Tim would have died. The pain, the heartbreak...it was killing him." Not that he wouldn't have followed soon after by his own hand. He would not have wanted to live in a world without the other man, even as much as he hadn't wanted to cause the other man pain. "That is why we are telling you this. Soon, the connection will be overwhelming, you will feel each others emotions and hear every thought, you might even trade barbs of pain. But you cannot sever the connection, not without destroying yourselves. We can help the two of you learn to control it, learn to make it so you only hear each other when you both want to; where you aren't harming each other and are trying to control both of your emotions. We can help make it easier. But you have to trust us and work with us son. Neither of us wants to see you go down that road." Eric added quietly.
He sank down into the chair, running his hand over his face. Denying the bond could kill Severus, would destroy them. So even if it hurt sometimes, they couldn't risk breaking it. He couldn't do that. Not to his Severus. It wasn't even fully developed yet but he knew they would have to learn to control it. Remus also knew that they didn't have to do this alone. The two men, both hiding raw emotions, would not let them do it any other way. He knew his dad and papa would catch them when they fell. Someone would have to tell Severus. And then, they could experiment with it, work with how to control it. Between the two of them, they should be able to figure it out. Especially with help. "I think Severus might be more willing to listen if you told him, Tim." He stated finally, apologetically. It had been years before he had even met Tim but that didn't mean his heart didn't hurt for the pain the older man must have suffered through. He could never do that to Severus. He didn't understand why his father wouldn't have stopped it earlier if he had known how much pain it caused Tim. Unless he hadn't know, because that was so like the other man.
"I will speak with him this afternoon." Tim nodded briskly, straightening up so that he was no longer leaning on Eric. Talking to Severus would be easier; he knew that the younger of the two would fight it, of course, but he also knew how much Severus wanted this relationship. Explaining the new connection to him would be no hardship. He had been planning to talk to him anyway. Severus wasn't eating; there had to be a reason, no matter how convoluted, for that. "I think it's time for tea." He added, taking the two nods as acceptance before moving to put on a kettle. Everything seemed a least a little better after a good cup of tea, after all.
-x-
Alexis bit back a grin, watching the two explore the new sensory room. She had decided to show it to Lila after lunch. The child, however, had not wanted to let go of Jake, so the man had offered to go with her. She had even managed to snap a few pictures of Jake and Lila when the man wasn't looking. Now, if only this room would help Kate relax as much as it had Lila. The child still had on the headphones, but she was reaching for ropes and touching surfaces, all from the safety of Jake's hip.
He stopped beside a tunnel, tilting his head to look down it. "I don't think I can fit there, Lila. Why don't you try? I'll be right here." Jake suggested quietly, smiling down at the blond-haired child.
Lila hesitated for a moment, her grip on him tightening, before she grunted, making her gesture for down. She knew he would understand that one. Up and down were the two gestures the counselors and teachers seemed to learn first, followed by hungry and mad, of course. Maybe that was because she used those the most. She bit her lip when he set her on the ground, her eyes darting up to him for a moment. She took a half step away and looked back at him. He didn't move, so she took another step. Once she was sure he wasn't going anywhere, she crouched, peering into the large tunnel. It was dark and she was big enough to crawl through it. She hesitated for a moment longer, turning to look at the Headmistress. But the woman merely nodded, gesturing for her to go. She put her hand inside the fabric tunnel and then her foot. It took a moment but she grinned, crawling the rest of the way into it. Really, she could crouch in here if she wanted to; it was huge. It was dark and quiet in the tunnel, it felt safe.
"Where does it go?" Jake inquired, glancing back at the two women. Kate stood rigidly beside Alexis and he bit back a sigh. The younger woman really needed to learn to relax a bit. Alexis would not harm her, nor would he or Mary. Mary had been working with her, but Kate was just...Kate. He knew that she was nervous around other adults, but she was amazing with the girls. He would just have to see if he could help her work on that nervousness, that fear.
Kate grimaced, watching the tunnel move as the child clambered through it. Perhaps it needed to be anchored down a bit more. "It intersects another tunnel, one end leads out and the other leads into the ball pit." Lila had only looked or touched things up until this point. The child had seemed interested by the hammock swing and the jungle gym, had touched the climbing blocks and one of the swinging ropes, but she hadn't wanted to explore on her own. She hoped the girl would find the little pop-up tent that made a quiet area and the sand and beads to run her hands through. There was even a trampoline, as well as several floor pillows and some books. There were lots of the things the child could touch, climb, or swing with. There were places to crawl and lay down. It was the sensory room that every school wanted and few could afford. That's why she loved magic so much. They didn't have to cut corners. She was still a little overwhelmed that she had been the one to design it and not only did Alexis approve of it, but Lila also seemed to like it.
"This is amazing Kate." Jake remarked finally, waving his hand at the room. He still hadn't left his spot at the entrance of the tunnel. And he wouldn't. Not until the little girl said it was alright. He wanted her to know that she could trust him, could trust them, and even a small promise to not move would help with that.
A head popping out of the top of the shallow ball pit and the accompanying giggle made he genuinely smile. Kate had been right. This room was good for Lila, it might even help some of the other students relax and it would be excellent for play-therapy. Alexis waved back at the child who was waving to them, before diving back down into the ball pit, before running through the list of things she had left to accomplish that day in her head. Jake would have to get back to his boys eventually, or half of them would end up in her office, if for only driving Henry crazy. There was plenty to do still, before the school would be ready for September, before these children would be healthy, but they were making good steps forwards and only small steps back. Her eyes landed on Jake as Lila popped out of the tunnel and demanded to be picked up by a man who couldn't refuse. Not that anyone could deny that child physical comfort. The ten year old girl Jake was holding was smiling; three weeks ago she hadn't wanted anyone but Ariana to touch her, had never smiled, never made a sound. Now, she giggled, as he spun her through the air before settling her back onto his hip. Yes, Hogwarts was healing, even if the scars would always be there. It would just take time.
-x-
A/N- Lila is very loosely based on some of the boys I coach. One is mostly non-verbal, his favourite word seems to be no, and several of them have sensory problems. I write all of these characters as real as possible, which is why switch between characters and stories so much. But everything, in the end, interlocks.