A/N: Do not own. A shorter chapter, hopefully I can get the next one up quicker. X's are scene breaks. As always, use your words. ~Case

-x-
Ariana frowned, one hand wrapped around the struggling girl's wrist. "You do not need to go into the forest, Karrie. It isn't safe."

"Yes it is! Let go!" She hissed, trying to pull out of the older girl's hold. Of course Ariana would catch her when she tried to run. It was annoying, how often the older girl tracked her down and brought her back toward the castle, if not to her group.

The blond sighed softly, shaking her head. "No, Karrie, it's not safe. There are a lot of dangerous things in the forest. Besides, we've talked about this. Running away doesn't make your problems go away. It doesn't stop the conversations you don't want to have, it just postpones them. I know talking about it is...difficult but running doesn't solve anything." She responded, trying to keep her voice in the same calm tone Mary and Alexis used but she wasn't sure if it was working.

The dark-haired child frowned, glaring up at the teenager for a moment. She knew that Kate and Mary, all the adults really, worried about their safety. But she wasn't going to harm herself and she was safe in their little clearing. Maybe Ariana would believe her if she showed her. "If I can prove that I will be safe in the forest, will you leave me alone?"

"No. But if you can prove that you are safe there, I will go with you and let you have the quiet you seek." She replied firmly, offering a compromise. She wasn't going to leave a kid like Karrie by herself when the kid most needed to not be alone. Ariana understood what Karrie was feeling, what Karrie was trying to get away from. And that was exactly why she wouldn't leave her by herself.

She hesitated, biting her lip for a moment. "Okay. It's not far." She answered finally, resting her hand in Ariana's, knowing that the older girl would understand quickly. She gave a small smile when the older girl transferred her hold on her wrist to just a light hold on her hand. This way the older girl wouldn't get left behind if the magic didn't like her like it liked them.

She frowned slightly as she let Karrie lead her into the forest. She wasn't so sure that this was a good idea, but her wand was easily accessible and she knew Karrie was extremely intelligent. The younger girl wouldn't led her into danger purposefully. It was just that the forest was full of magical creatures and many of them were not fond of humans. She just hoped they didn't attract the attention of any of those creatures.

Karrie passed easily through the boundary of their clearing, giving a real smile when the magic easily accepted Ariana. She had a feeling that the magic here would accept almost all of the kids at camp. While Harry could see magic, she could feel it. It filled this clearing and it made her feel safe here. While she was starting to feel safe in Severus and Remus' quarters, starting to feel safe at Hogwarts again, she had never felt as safe as she did when she was here. And when she didn't want to think, didn't want to feel everyone elses magic, she came here.

She blinked, mouth dropping as her eyes took in the clearing. "What is this place, Karrie?" Ariana had never quite felt like this before, like she was completely safe here, like nothing could harm them here. Sure, she felt safe at the school but she was still wary there. Here, she felt different. That maybe here, the mask could come down and she could feel, if she wanted to.

She shrugged, glancing at the older girl as she moved to sit underneath the Rowan tree, it was her favourite place here. It did surprise her that she couldn't feel Ariana's magic here. "I'm not quite sure. I just know that we are safe here. Safer than we have ever been." Karrie responded finally, settling down and leaning her back against the tree. She closed her eyes, letting the calm and steady magic surround her. There was no chaos here, the magic here didn't overwhelm her. It was comforting more than it was anything else.

Ariana hesitated before settling down among the flowers. She knew Katie or Rani would be looking for Karrie eventually, but she didn't see why they couldn't stay here for just a little while.

-x-

Tim paused in his journey, glancing down at what the teenage boy was reading. Normally, he wouldn't read over any child's shoulder, unless he thought they were in danger. His instinct had made him glance at what Isaac was reading, a book that the young man shouldn't have access to. While Eric had been the one who had this talk with both Alexis and Remus, he knew that he could have it with Isaac. It wouldn't be the first time he had to explain this particular spell to a young person, he was a mind healer, after all. "Would you mind if I explained that spell to you, Isaac? I'm not nearly as dry as that old text." He remarked quietly, settling down in a nearby chair.

He flushed, glancing up from the chapter he was reading. He knew he shouldn't be reading this book, 'borrowed' from one of his counselors. Isaac was quite sure that the counselor who was reading the book wasn't reading it for the same reason that he was. He also had a feeling that Tim and Eric would not approve of him reading this particular book. "Yes sir." He mumbled, marking his place in the book and shutting it. He watched Tim with wary eyes, tapping his fingers on the cover of the book.

"Summoning and destroying personal demons is not what you think it is. Unlike mundane television shows, demons don't actually exist. The key word here is personal. This spell allows you to summon whatever your mind believes is the most dangerous and harmful toward you, your personal demons. The spell only ends if you manage to destroy, that is kill, the images it conjures. This is not a spell you want to attempt." Tim explained calmly, watching the dark skin youth's expressions, or lack thereof.

So it would probably summon a likeness of his father. To destroy a likeness of his father would be...therapeutic, right? So why was it something he wouldn't want to do? The thought of facing even just an image of his father, in the throes of one of his rages, was enough to give him pause though. Because as much as Isaac hated his father, he was still afraid of what the man was capable of, even if he never showed that fear to his father or in front of Damian. But an image couldn't harm him, surely? "Wouldn't it be beneficial to healing emotionally by facing these demons?" Isaac inquired finally, meeting the healer's eyes.

Leave it to this child to try and turn it around on him. All of the healers and counselors encouraged talking about the past and working through their problems to help the children heal mentally and emotionally. "Not like this Isaac. This spell puts you in a situation where the only way out is the death of the image or your death. If you can't destroy it completely during the initial struggle with it, it stays with you. It shows up when you are least expecting it and it draws on your magical core. It is a creation of magic and its sole purpose is to destroy you in any way it can. This is not something you want to mess with." Tim replied quietly, shaking his head. He didn't want to bury a child, not because of something that could be prevented. There was no reason for any of the children to cast such a spell, nor to have access to that particular book.

He was stronger than a spell, though. Wasn't he? Even if it drew on his own magic, he should be stronger than it. It was just an image, it wasn't real. "It's just an image. How much harm does it cause? Does it feed on something besides my magic?" He shrugged, face blank. He wasn't sure if he wanted to face his father, ever, but this was just a spell. He knew enough about magic, particularly old magic, to understand that it was more than a spell, but he didn't want to think about that right now. Magic was complicated and he knew it wasn't something to play with just to prove that he could, but for some reason he felt like pushing it with Tim today. He wasn't sure why, he just wanted to push.

Tim raised an eyebrow, tilting his head slightly. This child, with his interest in rituals and older magic, should know better. He was almost certain the boy did know better; because all magic could cause harm if used incorrectly. "It is more than an image. It is a manifestation of your worst nightmares and it feeds on your fear and magic. If you truly want to face your fears, there is a boggart that can be used for that. A boggart, at least, cannot kill you. Too many young people have died trying to use that spell, Isaac. It is not meant for actually defeating the manifestation. This is not something to mess with." He responded firmly, a slight warning in his tone. He then blinked, realizing that he had spoken to Isaac in the same manner he used to use, and sometimes still used, with Remus and Alexis. This child was quickly becoming his and Eric's.

"You have a boggart?" He inquired, interest sparking in his eyes. It would be interesting to see what his boggart was, although he could guess. He wasn't planning to try that spell, even if it had seemed interesting and he enjoyed experimenting. He didn't particularly want to die, who would look after Damien? Nor did he want to upset Tim or Eric, even if he wasn't quite sure of their intention toward him and Damien.

"I know the location of one. Were boggarts not covered in your Defense lessons?" Tim inquired, fighting back a smile at the child's curiosity. Alexis had been the same, interested and curious of everything magic, even when it was harmful.

Isaac shrugged, setting the book down. "In theory. But our professor that year was a theory-only type of teacher. We didn't get any hands on experience and we rarely learned new spells that year." Honestly, most of the Defense professors had been dismal.

That would change with Remus taking over the course. His son was a Master of Offensive and Defensive Magic, and he knew the younger man was already planning on how to compensate for his students lack of a decent education. "If you would like, I can show you the boggart this evening." Tim offered quietly, giving a slight smile when the teenager's eyes lit up.

"That would be great, sir." Isaac grinned, turning back to his book.

Tim shook his head, summoning a very different book. "Isaac, why don't we trade? I'll get this book back to its owner and you can read this one." He offered, holding out the book. Honestly, he was going to give this book to the teenager anyway. They were working on getting a copy to all of the older teens in Jake and Mary's group. There was a different book for the younger teens, although it was on the same topic.

Isaac frowned, accepting the book and reading the back cover of it. PTSD for Teens, really? It was definitely a mundane book, but it did seem a bit interesting. He opened it to the index, absently handing the other book over.

Tim gave a soft smile, moving to put the book on healing curses up until he could find its owner. It was a book that the majority of young healers read before attempting their Mastery, as some information from the book was important, if a bit outdated, so he knew it belonged to one of the counselors. He observed the teenager for a moment longer before going to finish what he had been working on.

-x-

Alexis frowned, glancing up from the parchment she was reading to the light above her office door. It was a counselor, hopefully no one was injured this time. "Come." She called as the knock came again.

Mary opened the door, stepping into the room with a slight frown. She observed the Headmistress for a moment, moving to sit at one of the chairs in front of the desk at the woman's nod. She wasn't particularly happy with the younger woman at the moment but she wasn't quite sure how to address that with her, as Alexis was technically her superior. "Are you busy?" She inquired quietly, glancing toward the parchment scattered in front of Alexis.

"Nothing that can't be handled later." She shrugged, setting the paper she was reading to the side. "What can I do for you, Mary?" For some reason Mary's body language indicted that she wasn't here as a friend. She wasn't quite sure what would cause the tension in the slightly older woman but she had a feeling she wouldn't like it.

She took a deep breath, meeting silver eyes easily. "I was wondering what exactly you were thinking that caused you to kiss Kate?" She inquired, brown eyes sparking with hidden anger. She had a feeling that Alexis hadn't been thinking, she was still young after all. They were all young. But Kate was not in a healthy place, the younger woman was a terrified, uncertain bundle of nerves most of the time. How would Kate handle it if things went badly? She was afraid that the younger woman wouldn't be able to handle it.

"That's none of your damn business." Alexis snapped, eyes flashing. She didn't have to explain herself to Mary, or anyone else for that matter. Which was good, because she didn't know how to explain it. She still wasn't quite sure what had caused her to do that in the heat of the moment. Even after talking to Severus, she was a bit uncertain about what she should do. She didn't particularly want to make things awkward between her and Kate, but she was also pretty sure that she didn't have time for a relationship. And what if it ended? What happened then? She didn't have a very good track record with relationships, after all.

She soften slightly, noting not just the defensive manner of the younger woman, but the uncertainty that Alexis was trying so hard to hide. "I'm not here to attack you, Alexis. My only goal is to protect Kate, who is emotionally fragile and not in the best state for a relationship." She replied quietly, observing the black-haired woman relax minutely.

"I'm sorry, Mary. I wasn't...I know Kate isn't ready for a relationship." She paused, dropping her eyes to her desk. "I honestly don't know what I was thinking or what I'm going to do about it." She explained finally, anger almost completely disappearing. The only anger left was directed at herself.

"You really do like her, don't you?" Mary remarked softly, causing the other woman to blush. Alexis looked so young in moments like this, it reminded her that the Headmistress was younger than her and was attempting a massive task of fixing and running Hogwarts. So young, with so many responsibilities that she handled so well, and yet she was so unsure of herself when it came to a relationship. "Alexis...remember when I told you that I could always listen, even if I might not always understand? My ears are open."

-x-

Charlie smiled, tilting his head back to better watch the preteen boys. The ten to thirteen year-old's were flying, those of them that wanted to fly. Granted, they had a height limiting spell in place, to make it safer for the boys who were underweight and malnourished, which was a least half of them. He was standing on the dirt pitch with his wand resting easily in his hand, just in case something went wrong. Although if the raven-haired child did not stop attempting the wronski feint, he was going to make him land. "Harry, for the second time, stop! Someone is going to get hurt." He ordered, shaking his head as the boy zoomed past.

Harry giggled, feeling the wind ruffling through his hair as he zoomed around the other boys. Teddy was flying slowly beside one of the younger boys. Although he could not hear what Teddy was saying, he could guess that he was probably offering comforting words to the younger boy. He scowled for a moment, wondering briefly if he should slow down and help before deciding against it. Teddy liked flying, but he didn't like flying the way he did. Teddy wasn't into the flips and twists and feints. Harry grinned, zooming in a loop around Billy and James, who were tossing a beach ball back and forth before zipping to the middle of the pitch to perform a backwards arch. He really wanted to try standing up on his broom and flipping, but he wasn't sure Charlie would let him. He wasn't a little kid though, he was old enough to try something without permission, as long as no one got hurt.

Teddy frowned slightly, glancing at his friend as the other boy flew past them again. Harry knew better than to try stunts around him and little Ben, it did help that they weren't as high up. He kept one hand on the slightly smaller boy's broom, as the eleven year old was still trying to figure out steering. It was his first time on a broom and Teddy was quite glad for the spell that kept Ben on his broom. The younger boy was tiring quickly, though. Flying wasn't easy, particularly the first time. "Ready to land? "He asked, taking the rapid nod as a yes. "Okay lean forward slightly and HARRY!" Teddy shouted, keeping a grasp on Ben's broom, even as his eyes focused on his friend. Charlie was going to kill him.

He grimaced, ignoring Teddy's shout even though he was sure Charlie was now watching him. He was standing, carefully with his feet apart, on his broom. Every time he tried to move his feet together, his broom tipped down. He had managed to stand on his broom before, during a Quidditch match, even if he had only stood on it for a few seconds before hitting the ground. And maybe he hadn't been as far up then, but he knew he could do this. The Quidditch pros did it, so he could too. Maybe if he keep his feet slightly apart, he could do a front flip and land back in a standing position on his broom.

"Harry Potter! Sit your butt on that broom now!" Charlie ordered, hand tightening on his wand. Was the child crazy? The net spell wasn't activated, as the boys weren't flying that high up. All of the new fliers and the youngest of the boys had tethering charms to keep them on their brooms. The older of the young boys had had enough time on brooms to handle flying low without tethering charms. And he was there to catch them if necessary, he just had hoped it wouldn't be necessary. Maybe he should have activated the net charm, the one used during Quidditch games in case a player happened to fall off their broom. The net wasn't visible, but everyone knew it was there just in case, so perhaps Harry thought it was active? It didn't matter, the child should not be standing on his broom!

Harry bit his lip, glancing down at Charlie and gulping. The ground was a lot further than he had thought it was. But he could do this! He had fallen further during matches and not been seriously injured, plus he had the glasses strap on, so his glasses wouldn't fall off. He took a deep breath, focusing on the broom as his feet left it, he was flipping through the air! He was doing it! And then his foot missed the broom and he was falling. He closed his eyes tight, preparing for impact and then...nothing. He opened one eye and blinked, realizing suddenly that he was still in the air, about ten feet above ground, but he was no longer falling. His body started to slowly descent again as he mind caught up to what must have happened. Charlie must have stopped his fall. His feet touched the ground and he felt the magic of the spell disappear, his eyes suddenly finding his trainers very interesting.

Charlie took a deep breath, forcing his fear and anger down. Honestly, it was mostly fear. That had been terrifying and his heart was still pounding. "Why in the world would you try something so dangerous, Harry? You could have been hurt, or worse!" He took another deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm. He didn't want to scare the preteen but he wasn't happy with him. That had been dangerous and unnecessary.

"I thought I could do it." Harry mumbled, green eyes focusing on the ground. He knew Charlie was upset with him and he thought he might know why. He had disobeyed him and he did realize it had been dangerous. It had been terrifying when his foot had missed the broom. He didn't usually feel fear when he was flying but that had scared him. "I'm sorry, Charlie."

"I know Harry. However, you are grounded from flying for the rest of the week. Never do that again, alright? I don't think my heart can take it." He crouched slightly, so that he was on the child's level, before gently tugging his chin up, so green eyes would have to meet his. He knew grounding the child would not make him happy, but he had warned the boys to not do anything stupid and he knew not letting Harry fly would have an impact on the child. It would show the young teen that he was serious about his safety and disappointed in his behavior. They promised the children consequences when they misbehaved, so this would work quite well.

Harry scowled, meeting Charlie's eyes for a moment before glaring at the ground. He liked flying! That sucked! But he did know it was fair. It had taken a couple of weeks, but almost all of the children no longer thought they would get beaten for disobeying. His group still had moments of uncertainty but he knew Charlie wouldn't hurt him and he wasn't afraid of him. He still wasn't used to being punished fairly, but he had a feeling that the other kids felt the same way. He bit his lip for a moment before nodding. "Okay Charlie. I didn't mean to scare you." He responded quietly, glancing at the older man before moving to put his broom away. He could play on the ground with some of the younger boys and Teddy, since Teddy was landing with the little first year. He might not like it, but he also knew it wasn't the end of the world. His uncle would never had punished him as fairly as Charlie and Phil did, or as Remus and Severus did.
-x-

Ariana smiled slightly, glancing at the preteen walking beside her. She had finally realized how long they had been gone for and suggested to Karrie that they return to the school. She understood the younger girl's reluctance, as she had felt safe and comfortable in the clearing as well. She stopped suddenly, glancing around at the trees in confusion. She had thought that they were on the same oath they had taken into the forest, but it looked like they were going deeper in instead of heading out.

Karrie frowned, stopping beside Ariana. They had been on the right path, so how had they ended up here? She froze, feeling the magic around them "Ariana don't move." She whispered, holding perfectly still. If they didn't move, it would pass right by them.

Ariana became still, trying to see out of the corners of her eyes. She could just barely see movement on her right. As much as she wanted to look at it, something made her stay frozen. When she could no longer see the shape out of the corner of her eyes, she waited a few minutes before relaxing slightly. It was gone.

Karrie stayed frozen, feeling the magic circle around them. It must be able to smell them, even if it couldn't quite see them. She saw Ariana moved out of the corner of her eye and grimaced. "Stay still!"She hissed, feeling the magic stop. It had noticed them. She swore softly, blindly grabbing Ariana's hand. "RUN!" She pull at the older girl, taking off in the direction of where she could feel the castle's faint magic.

Ariana blinked before running beside the black-haired child. Just as Karrie had pulled on her, she had seen movement again. She wasn't quite sure what it was or if it was following them, but she didn't want to look back. She was afraid, she didn't know why, but she was.

Karrie kept running, holding tight to Ariana's hand. They were almost there, she could feel the magic of Hogwarts grow stronger as they got closer to the edge of the forest. So focused on the magic, Karrie didn't notice the fallen branch until she tripped over it, landing hard on the forest floor. She had let go of the older girl's hand in the fall, causing Ariana to stumble. She turned green eyes to the dark forest behind them, she could feel it coming, even if she couldn't see it yet. "Run Ariana! Go!" She hissed, forcing herself back to her feet, moving to put her small body between the older girl and the monster.

Ariana froze, staring at the little girl for a moment. She was not leaving her there! "I'm not leaving you, Karrie!" She could see that the younger girl was injured and while she couldn't see anything in the dark of the forest, she felt like something was watching them. She made a quick decision, picking the girl up and swinging her onto her hip. Karrie wasn't as little as Lila, but she was severely underweight for her age, so she could easily carry her. She started running again, a bit slower and more cautiously, now that she was carrying the injured preteen.

She blinked, wrapping her legs around Ariana's waist, her arms circling her neck. She kept her eyes focused on what was behind them, her magic alerting her to where it was. She lifted one hand, feeling the magic crawl over it. Karrie knew that she couldn't stop it, she didn't have the knowledge or strength to fight it alone. But she could slow it down. "Keep running Ariana." She whispered, focusing all of her attention on the magic around her hand. She took a deep breath, gathering as much magic around her hand as possible before shoving it into a wall between the creature and them. The wall wouldn't stop it but it should slow it down enough for them to escape the forest.

She didn't stop running until they were half-way across the grounds. She wasn't sure if it was still following them or if it had stopped at the edge of the forest. Karrie had relaxed against her, so she was guessing that it stopped following them. She wasn't even sure what it was. " What was that Karrie?" She continued walking, wanting to put as much distance between them and the forest as possible.

"A monster." Karrie shrugged, resting her head against Ariana's shoulder. She was tired all of a sudden and her leg had started hurting. She was sure it had been hurting before and she just hadn't noticed.

Jake frowned, eyes focusing on the young woman walking up the hill toward the castle. It took him a moment to recognize which teenager it was and who she was carrying. He moved away from his boys, going to meet her half way. "Ariana? Are you alright?" He questioned calmly, glancing at the blood covering her clothing. He wasn't sure what the girls had gotten into or which one of them was bleeding, but they both looked like they needed the infirmary.

"I'm okay. Karrie fell when we were leaving the forest." Ariana hesitated for a moment, biting her lip. But this was Jake, he would believe her if she said they had been chased. Mary, Jake, and Charlie had made it perfectly clear that they were on their side and that they cared about every member of their little group. "Something was chasing us."

Forest? They had been in the Forbidden Forest?! That explained why Rani couldn't find Karrie but it didn't explain what they were doing in there in the first place. "I'm going to assume that's Karrie's blood then. Do you know what was chasing you?" He responded calmly, slowly withdrawing his wand. "May I scan both of you?"

Ariana nodded, feeling the younger girl nod as well. Karrie was bleeding? She hadn't noticed in her panic to get as far away from there as possible. "I don't. "

"It was a monster." Karrie murmured, turning to look toward Jake. She was exhausted and in pain. She felt the diagnostic spell wash over her, letting the magic dance on her skin for a moment. She could tell that Ariana was drained and she knew she wasn't' exactly light, so she reach out with one arm toward Jake.

He easily took hold of the young girl, holding her up for a moment so that he could see her leg. She needed the infirmary, as her knee was dislocated, at the least, and bleeding. Jake moved her so that she was on his hip, feeling her wrap her arms and legs around him. He slowly moved his free arm, wrapping it gently around Ariana's shoulders. "Let's get you two inside." Eric could heal them and then he could find out what Karrie meant by a monster.

-x-
"

Are you sure you want to do this, Isaac?" Tim inquired softly, hand resting on the handle of the cupboard. They were in lower level arthimancy classroom, where Alexis had been meaning to take care of the boggart. Well, her and Remus were arguing over the boggart. Remus wanted it for his third and fourth years and Alexis was fine with that, but she wanted it moved somewhere else. Somewhere where younger teenagers wouldn't accidentally stumble upon it and have their abusive family members appear. He was pretty sure that was what would appear when Isaac stepped in front of it. The child barely spoke; the teenager had spoken more to him today than he had to anyone else in the last few weeks. So he wasn't certain that this wouldn't do more harm than good.

He was sure. He knew he could beat whatever it was and if he couldn't, for some reason, Tim was there to help. He was curious and so he was going to do it. He nodded, chewing on his lip for a moment, eyes focused on the door Tim was slowly opening. Isaac calmed his breathing, trying to get his mind into a meditative state, so that he could face the boggart objectively. He was not prepared for what came out of the cupboard.

"It's just a boggart Isaac. It's not real. Remember that. "Tim stated calmly, frowning at the man glowering at his child.

Just a boggart. It's just a boggart. His breathing got faster when the taller, brown-skinned man tossed a small bundle at his feet.

"Look at what you did, boy! You made him a freak too!"

Isaac cringed back as a fist swung out at him, forgetting briefly that it wasn't real. He scampered as far back as he could get, crouching down and moving an arm to protect his head. If he didn't move, it wouldn't hurt as much,. If he was quiet, Damien would be alright. That doll couldn't be his brother, it wasn't his brother. His brother was safe. Right? Damien was safe.

He didn't hesitate, stepping quickly between Isaac and the boggart.. He waved his hand at it as the image started to change, forcing it to move back into the cupboard. Tim cast a locking spell on the cupboard, so no one could happen upon it unaware, before moving quickly to the teenage boy who was curled up in a corner. He crouched down near the boy, not touching him. "Isaac, you are at Hogwarts. You are safe. There is a tile floor underneath you and a stone wall behind you. Damien is safe. You are safe." He remarked softly, trying to ground the boy in the here and now. "I know you are scared, but I am here with you. You are not alone."

The dark-skinned teenager slowly uncurled, easing his body into a more comfortable, although still protective, position. "I'm fine." He responded emotionlessly, eyes focused on the nearest wall. He forced his feelings down, knowing that his mask was up and he knew better than show what he was really feeling around adults.

Tim sighed softly, settling on to the floor and shifting into a comfortable position. He had made sure that he was far enough away from the teenager that Isaac wouldn't feel crowded or trapped. "You are not." If the child thought he was going to let him shut down after going through something like that, he clearly didn't know any of the mind-healers or counselors very well yet. He wouldn't make the boy talk, of course, but he also wasn't going to leave him by himself when he had to be experiencing a mixture of emotions.

Isaac wrapped an arm around his knees, drawing them up to his chest. He wasn't protecting himself as much as he was trying to calm his racing heart. It had seemed so real. He hadn't been expecting it to feel real. It was almost like he had been transported back to his father's house, back into that cellar. He had thought it would be a weak imitation of his father, a bad construct of him. Not that it would be the monster in his nightmares, the man his father really was. It took him a moment to realize that there were tears silently running down his cheek. He flushed, biting his lip. His father would have beat him for crying. He hadn't cried in a very long time, so why now?

"I know you don't want to talk about it, Isaac. But that's the only way to make it hurt less, to heal. You have to start letting it out." Tim stated quietly, watching the younger man. He knew Isaac was trying to hide his emotions, but he could still see them in those dark eyes. He could see the fear and the anger. The pain the child tried so desperately to hide. And it made him angry, although he was careful to not show any emotion. He wasn't angry at the teenager, of course. He was angry at the man who was suppose to love, protect, and guide this intelligent, curious, strong young man and his little brother. Gods help him if he ever met Isaac and Damien's father.

"I can't. Damien needs me to be strong." He whispered, keeping his eyes focused firmly on the floor. He didn't want to look at the healer, didn't want to see if there was pity on his face. Not that any of the healers or counselors here had looked at him with the pity and disgust he had expected.

"Talking doesn't make you weak." He frowned as the boy scoffed. "It doesn't. Keeping everything inside of you will slowly destroy you. By letting it out, by talking about it, you take away its power over you and it lets you heal. I'm not saying it is easy, Isaac. It's definitely not easy. And yes, it can be painful and the hurt won't go away right away. But the more you talk about it, the more power you take from it. Talking helps you to become healthier and yes, it makes you stronger." He replied firmly, wanting the child to understand what he was trying to say. He knew, however, that it would take more than this conversation to heal this child. There was a long journey ahead for each of the castle's children this summer, but he knew that it was possible. If only the children believed in their own abilities to heal.

He bit his lip, mulling it over for several minutes before giving the slightest nod. What the healer said made sense, even if he didn't particularly like talking about it. "He hated me, because I was different. I was terrified that he would realize that Damien was different too. That he would hurt Damien like he hurt me." He whispered finally, glancing up at Tim for a brief second.

"The boggart was a manifestation of that fear, Isaac. The fear that he might harm Damien. It is okay to be afraid, it is okay to have fears. Fear isn't necessarily a bad thing. He hurt Damien differently than he harmed you?" They had suspected that, actually, since the physical abuse done to Damien paled in comparison to Isaac's. Eric had actually been surprised that Isaac had survived that long and he knew that Isaac's group leaders had released some choice words when they read over his file.

"He hit Damien occasionally, but only when he was really drunk. Even when I was here...that's the only reason I left Damien there. But then his letter came and he started getting mean toward Damien too. So no, sir, he didn't torture Damien. Just me." He responded, emotionless. It didn't bother him that Damien had been treated better than he was; he was actually thankful for it. His younger brother was conditioned to obey but he hadn't been harmed in the same manner. Otherwise, he didn't think he could have left his brother there for six years by himself. He was just stating facts, he didn't have to really think about them.

He hesitated, well aware that one wrong word could end this conversation. "I am glad to hear that he didn't hurt Damien like that. I do wish, however, that he hadn't hurt you like that either." Tim responded finally, carefully studying the emotions under the teen's mask.

Isaac shrugged, brushing his hair away from his eyes. "It's nothing that I couldn't handle." Which wasn't quite true, but he didn't really want to think about it. Because thinking about the things that were done to him meant that he would also feel those emotions that he kept lock down. The fear, sadness, and anger that he tried so hard to keep under control. If he thought about it, he would have to feel and he didn't really want to feel. "I understand that what happened to me was wrong, sir. I know that it was." He added quietly, shaking his head. He fidgeted, tapping fingers to his knees.

"You shouldn't have had to handle it. No child should." Tim remarked, frowning when the teenager started shaking his head.

"No. No person should have to handle it, to have to endure it." Isaac retorted firmly, biting his lip when he met the healer's eyes. He knew what the healer meant, of course, and he knew the healer wasn't trying to make him sound young, he was young. But he firmly believed the no one deserved to be harmed at all, but especially like that.

Tim blinked before chuckling softly. He met startled eyes and very slow moved to rest a hand on the teenager's shoulder. "You are right, son. No person should be treated like that." The younger man had gone rigid when he had touched his shoulder and was now slowly relaxing.

Isaac relaxed, looking at the older man for a long moment. No one had ever called him son before, not like that. Not like they meant it. He wasn't quite sure what that feeling was but he decided he like it. He knew Tim and Eric were coming to care for them, he just hadn't realized that he was starting to care back.
-x-