A/N: Do not own. Sorry for the delay, I got a concussion and writing just wasn't happening that for a while. X's are scene breaks, italics are silent conversations. As always, use your words. -Case
-x-
"I really am sorry, Millie. I just...I didn't want you to end up like me. No one should ever hurt you like that." Karrie shrugged, poking her fingers at the unicorn on her cast to make it prance. Millie was finally speaking to her again, she thought Mrs. Malfoy and Daphne had something to do with that, so the other girl had come over to spend the day with her.
She bit her lip, watching Karrie's cast for a long moment before glancing up at the younger girl. "It's okay. I should have told my mum or Mrs. Malfoy or Severus or someone. My mum told me you were just trying to protect me and I understand that now." The slightly bigger girl shook her head, glancing back at the cast for a moment. She had wished that she could have protected Karrie and she knew that if Karrie hadn't been at the school that summer, she would have told someone. Millicent didn't know all of the horrors the black-haired girl had gone through, but she did know that Karrie's home life had been very different from hers. Even if her parents were always traveling for work, they still loved her and they tried to spend as much time as possible with her. "Did I tell you my mum canceled all of her meetings for next week, so she could be with me?"
"That's great. Is next week the lineup?"
She grimaced, nodding. She really didn't want to go through with it. But Mr. Malfoy had told her that he wouldn't be able to see her and she would just have to identify his voice. "Yeah. It's Monday. But mum said we might go to France Tuesday to do some shopping. I asked her if you and Daphne could come."
"Really?" She didn't think Remus and Severus would let her go but she did like being invited.
"She was going to talk to Severus and Remus when she picked me up today. Hopefully they will say yes. Mrs. Malfoy already said Daphne could come." She shrugged, picking up one of the mundane books on Karrie's night stand.
She frowned, tilting her head. "Are her parents still not back?" She knew they had gone on a trip this past week, but she thought they should have been back by now. Daphne and her little sister rarely stayed at the Malfoys overnight. They were usually just there during the day.
She hesitated, as it was Daphne's story to tell but she also knew the other girl didn't want to talk about it. "They are getting a divorce. Mrs. Malfoy told them that Daphne and Astoria would be staying at her house until they got things settled."
"I know Daphne said they were fighting a lot but divorce? Aren't they blood-bonded?"
"No, magic-bonded. That's why they took the trip, they have to get the magic-bond broken before they can legally file for divorce. They are back but...they are fighting over who gets Daphne and Astoria. Mrs. Malfoy took temporary guardianship because she didn't want them in that house when things were so tense." She answered finally. She figured Karrie would find out anyway and it wasn't like the other girl to gossip, so Daphne's secret would be safe with her.
Her friend had probably eavesdropped to find that out, but she knew from Teddy eavesdropping that Daphne and Astoria would be safest with the Malfoys while their parents were fighting. After all, she had gotten broken bones whenever her parents fought. "Did you know Mrs. Malfoy was Alexis' tutor?"
"Really?" She started flipping through the book, it looked interesting. And while it wasn't the first one, she knew Karrie probably had the first Nancy Drew book. Millie could also tell that Harry spent a lot of time in Karrie's room, as some of his figurines and comics were on the other side of the bed on another night stand. "Do you have the first one?"
She snorted, pointing toward the bookcase. If her leg didn't hurt so bad, she would get up and get it. But her leg had been hurting today, which was why they were laying on her bed and not running around outside with Teddy and Harry. "Really. She was her tutor when they both lived in France. And yeah, Remus bought me the whole set when they got Harry his trampoline."
She bounced up, moving to search through the book case. Karrie had so many books, both magical and mundane. She could spent all day just reading with the other girl. After all, they didn't have to talk to hang out. She liked the silence sometimes and she knew Karrie did too.
-x-
Eric glanced up from the file he was looking through, frowning at the lack of light on the door. There was only one person who wouldn't cause the light to flash and that was his husband. His husband who normally floo'd or called with his pendant. "Come."
He opened the door, stepping slowly into the older man's office. It only took a moment for Eric to move from his chair, wrapping warm arms around him. Tim closed his eyes, resting his head against his partner's chest.
He tighten his arms around him, pushing aside his worry for the moment. While their bond helped, while he could feel the pain Tim was feeling, he had also known his husband long enough to know that haunted look on his face. He gazed at what he could see of his face before making a quick decision. He moved one arm, pointing his wand at his armchair for a moment and focusing on making it slightly larger. He carefully moved his husband, guiding them over to his armchair. He sat, pulling the younger man down with him before wrapping his arms around him again. Even though he had enlarged the chair so his husband could sit beside him, the slightly smaller man ended up on his lap, pressed hard into him. "Do you want to talk about it?"
He took a breath, tightening his arms around his partner again. The gentle circles Eric was rubbing into his back was helping. He knew he had to talk about, he had to fight through the anger and pain he felt. He was a lead mind healer for a reason, he knew how bad it was to bottle up emotions. He also knew how to separate his emotions from his patients. But there were times when some of their stories just got to him and he hurt for them. Of course he wouldn't show that around them, he wouldn't be a good healer if he did; his patients needed a strong healer who could show understanding, compassion, care, and support. If they saw how some of their stories affected him, affected all of the healers, they would stop talking. And it was hard enough to get these kids to open up as it was.
After several minutes of silence, he sighed softly, gently brushing his hand over Tim's cheek. He could feel the slight shaking, touching his partner's face confirmed what he thought. There were silent tears running down his face and he could feel the pain his husband felt. He knew why the other healer was so upset because he knew the few stories that would drive him to this level of upset. He also knew that those tears were more from anger than sadness. "Who?"
"Nikolaas."
He sighed softly, shaking his head. He had told Tim that taking Nikolaas as a patient wasn't a good idea, that Paul would be more than capable of taking on Nikolaas. Tim related too much to the young teenager from the Netherlands, which wasn't always bad but he also knew his husband well.
He lifted his head enough to look at the dark-skinned man, catching his eye. "He told me that he wished he had never felt love, that his grandma had treated him like the rest of his family had, because it hurt to go from being loved to being unwanted." He stated finally before pressing his head back into the older man's shoulder.
He closed his eyes for a moment, running a hand through his husband's messy hair. "I know another who said something very similarly. But there is a difference. Nikolaas is fourteen and he is in a place where he is safe and cared for." He responded softly. Tim had not been as lucky, to find a home at fourteen after being shuffled from place to place, never wanted. No, it had fallen on Tim's old master, him, and his old master to teach him what it meant to be loved. It had taken years to get Tim to the place he was now and he knew exactly why the man was so angry. Because another child had gone through the same thing. Another person knew what it felt like to be loved briefly and then shoved from one home to the next. They had both entered care around the same age. Nikolaas' grandmother passed when he was nine and Tim had been shuffled back into care at about eight.
"It makes me angry." While he was aware that his partner already knew that he was angry, he also knew he needed to verbalize the emotions he was feeling. It wasn't healthy to lock them in and he knew what tended to happen when he bottled up those emotions. He'd end up taking off to hunt an abuser and he hadn't done that since Alexis was his apprentice. That didn't mean he didn't want to do that, of course. He just knew he couldn't, not with so many children within the school needing his help and guidance. "I want to hurt his father the way he hurt that child." He admitted finally, not bothering to look up at the other healer. He could feel his emotions, after all.
He sighed, tightening his hold on his partner for a moment, shifting through the influx of emotions that weren't his. Anger, pain, and...guilt. "How far did you get before you decided it was a bad idea?" He inquired, forcing back a chuckle. At least Tim hadn't gone through with it, hadn't actually gone hunting this time. And while it wasn't funny that his partner felt that much anger and pain for this boy, his guilt at even thinking about doing something was. It meant he had finally gotten through to the younger man, after so many years of trying.
"Shut up." He muttered, burying his face into his husband's chest. "To the end of our hallway, and then I decided to go up instead of down."
"It is okay to be angry, love. I did warn you that taking Nikolaas on might bring up some of your own worst memories. If it gets too bad-
"I won't shove the child off on someone else because his life makes me angry. He deserves a healer who understands him and I do. I can separate my own emotions from it." He interrupted, knowing exactly where his husband had been going with that.
He shook his head, lightly swatting the light-skinned healer's arm. "I am quite aware that you can lock your own emotions away until you explode or take off. You cannot lock in your emotions over this. If you are going to be this child's mind-healer, then you either need to talk to your healer or to me about it. This child is not you. And he is now in a place where he will grow and learn safely. " Eric answered aloud, shaking his head at the glare the younger man sent him. He had a feeling that their cuddling sessions were about to expand immensely and while he was perfectly fine with that, he knew Tim well. The younger man would try to hide it or fight it until he was a mess of anger, sadness, and guilt. He tightened his hold around the man, feeling him finally relax against him.
-x-
"You look exhausted."
Alexis snorted, leaning back in her chair. "So do you. I have the excuse of trying to run a school." She had known when she had first gotten Chris' letter that he was stressed but she hadn't quite expected him to look this worn out.
The dragon-rider propped his feet up on the coffee table, closing his eyes for a moment. He had taken three international floos to get to Hogwarts today. It would have been much easier for him to fly but Nila was needed to protect the reserve and he had needed to come here before the younger woman came to retrieve his sister. "There has been three nest raids attempted in the last month and four poachers that we managed to catch, so far. And I'm raising a teenage girl who's been kicked out of five schools in three years. So yeah, Alexis, I'm tired. I'm leading the air team, so I'm flying details around three reserves." It was the worst the poachers had been in almost ten years, if Master Luka was to believe. Since the old man was now director of the reserves, he did believe him. Master Luka was the reason he was able to get custody of his little sister six years ago after all.
There had always been the threat of nest raids when she had been at the reserve but she could only remember one actually happening and it hadn't been by humans. It had been a Wyvern raid, not that that insane Wyvern had managed to get far with the two eggs it had stolen. Wyverns ate the eggs; humans, however, wanted the eggs, and dragon parts, for other purposes. "Are the nesting dragons safe?"
"As long as we have an active air and ground detail, yes. Hell, one group recruited Kylie for that sector's ground detail. The apprentices are a bit jumpy but she seems to excel at it." He replied, shaking his head. If only Kylie would act the way she did at home, at school. He was out of options. Of all the schools he had contacted this year, Hogwarts was the only one willing to give her a chance.
She picked up the girl's folder, having requested and received information from her past schools. "You got her when she was eight, right?"
He nodded, raising an eyebrow at the healer. She already knew that, because she had still been his healer when he got Kylie. He hadn't been sure he would be good for the child but he was much better than the alternative at least. "Aye. She went to the Reserves primary school until she aged out. Then, well, you have her academic records."
The girl had gotten expelled from four schools and asked not to come back to one. She would be an incoming fourth year and while she knew Chris was aware, she would have to make the child aware that this was her last chance. There was no where else she could go after this. No one else would take her. "Did she really set her roommate's hair on fire?"
"At Durmstrang. I think she wouldn't have gotten expelled if the girl had been awake."
"And she held a boy underwater in a frozen lake to the point he had to be revived?"
"At Nahoa."
"And she cursed a teacher's... reproductive organs off to the point that the healer had to manually reattach them."
"He deserved it. That was at Langsley. She's not a psychopath, Alexis. I took her to see several mind-healers. She's just...a little overprotective." He defended, looking away from her for a moment. He had taken her to a mind-healer when she lit that little monster's hair on fire. And then again when she had tried to drown that boy. But he understood why she did those things. He was also aware that that was why no one wanted to take her. Because while she wasn't a psychopath, she certainly seemed like one if they only read her file. The teacher though, he really had deserved it. The man got fired and she got expelled. That was this past year and after cursing the teacher, no one wanted her. He had tried to get her into Hogwarts before, but they hadn't accepted international students then. When he had learned that they were taking international and exchange students, he had thought seriously about sending her here. Having Alexis here made it an easy decision, if they would take her.
"Langsley? Whose motto is ' we take those nobody else wants'? Why the hell would you send her there?" She shook her head, reading over the notes her mind-healers had included again. She had read the file several times before, because she hadn't been quite sure they could handle Kylie. But once she got the healers notes and knowing where Kylie came from, she had realized that the teenager would fit in with the camp children easily. Which was why they were planning on moving Kylie to Hogwarts in the next week or two, before school officially started, so that the girl could get used to it.
"It was the middle of the school year and they were the only ones who would take her. She got expelled after three months and I just got correspondence courses for her for those last few months. But I can't leave a fourteen year old on a dragon reserve by herself for several months at a time. I get home duty during summers but I'm an air lead. I travel between all of the reserves during the school year. I know she's a hard case, a tough kid, but I think she needs you, Alexis. Not just the school, but you. You helped me and well, she needs some of that help." He knew he was nearly begging but he had hope that she would take Kylie on. Not just as a student, but also as a patient. He had done his best, had gotten her mind-healers to help when he couldn't, but they weren't Alexis. Alexis had been the best mind-healer he had ever worked with when he was younger and he just knew she could reach Kylie.
She closed her eyes, having suspected that request. That was one of the reasons she was going to travel to the reserve to get the child in the next week. If the girl was anything like her brother, she was stubborn as hell. She had some hope that the teenager would be easier to reach because she had escaped the hell that her brother had lived through. She hadn't told Chris that she was planning to take the kid as a patient, because it could honestly fall through. She was also the Headmistress and that made things a bit more complicated. "I was planning on that, actually. I just have to figure out a way to separate myself as headmistress and as her healer. I read the healers reports, Chris. I know why she set that girl's hair on fire. I know why she tried to drown a child. But her reasons do not excuse her actions. If she was allowed to get away with those actions, it would do more to harm her than anything else could." She responded quietly. She was well aware that this could become a very touchy subject very fast. She knew Christopher and his history, after all. She had been his mind-healer for four years, even after she had left the reserve.
"I discipline her the same way riders are disciplined. She always knew she was in trouble for the way she went about handling something, not for why she did it. Except for the teacher. I bought her ice cream for that one." He shook his head, gazing out the window for a long moment. When he first got Kylie, he was terrified that he would become his parents, that he might hurt her. The first time he had needed to discipline her, he had been so upset that Master Luka decided to have a talk with him. And that had made him realize that not only did Luka discipline him, and the other riders, in a way that was fair and strict, but he also did it in a way that showed that he cared about him and his safety. He had only feared his master the first few times he got in trouble, when he was an apprentice. So he had known that if he treated Kylie with love, fairness, and was still firm about her behaviour, she wouldn't fear him either.
"You bought her ice cream for cutting off that monster's testicles? I think that one was worth more than ice cream." She snorted, glancing back down at the file for a moment. She had actually heard about that through healer's gossip back in April. While the child who did it hadn't been named, as soon as she had seen her file, she knew it was her. The vile man had raped a ten year old student. Another child, a slightly older one, had found the student and told someone. When it was brushed off as a lie, she cast a spell that a third year student shouldn't have known and the rest was widely known.
"She wanted a dog. Since dogs and dragons don't mix, we settled on ice cream and I let her ride along with me when it is safe. I also made her fully aware that if she ever cut off anyone elses anatomy for any reason other than violating a small child, that she wouldn't be sitting happy. I know she can be violent but her violence is almost always toward bullies. I know how good you are with violent teenagers and I also know that a lot of the kids here this summer have similar backgrounds to her, to us." He knew the younger woman well enough to know that she would give his sister a chance. He also knew that she would enforce discipline with her if she needed to, as her headmistress and as his friend.
She rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Well, if she likes dogs, there's one on the grounds and we get a stray here or there. I will talk with her when I come to pick her up. We won't give up on her for misbehaving as long as she doesn't seriously hurt someone else. Speaking of me picking her up, when would be a good time for you? I might have to bring my youngest boy with me. He loves the dragon books you sent him."
"Bring your boys. I can have my apprentice give them a tour while you talk to Kylie." He shrugged, digging through his pockets for the calendar he knew he had brought with him, if only he could find it.
-x-
He scowled, glaring at the book for a long moment before he picked it up and flung it across the room.
"We do not throw books, Bain. If you are frustrated or struggling, tell me. Do not throw the book." Remus stated calmly, picking up the book and setting it back in front of the teenager. They had been at this for fifteen minutes.
Bain staring angrily at the book and him waiting patiently. He was trying to test the boy's reading levels, to see where he was at so that they could form an accurate plan to help him. He had done a lot of testing in the mundane world for learning differences and he had seen many books be thrown, so he knew the boy was frustrated. But he couldn't help him if he didn't talk to him.
He was not reading aloud! The words on those pages wouldn't stop moving and he absolutely hated reading aloud. He wasn't doing it. This was stupid. It didn't matter if he could read it or not, he wasn't doing it. He had gotten along for years, he would be fine for one more. He didn't see why Severus and Alexis had thought this was necessary.
After several more minutes of silence, he picked up another book, opening it and setting it in front of the teen. This one was more for first through third years, increasing in difficulty as it went. He hadn't wanted to embarrass the red head by suggesting he read on that low of a level but if the boy wouldn't even try the harder book, he would have to start with the easier one. "Alright, let's try this one please." He remarked, raising an eyebrow at the teenager. He had opened it to the second section, hoping that would be easy enough the teenager would at least try.
He glared down at the book, trying to force his eyes to focus on the words. It took a minute for the letters to stop dancing across the pages. "It took some doing but he was almost certain that this would work. His...this is stupid."
"As in, it's too easy?" Remus inquired, raising an eyebrow. He had a feeling that wasn't it. When the boy merely glared at him, he shook his head. '"Keep reading please."
This was stupid. He knew the words, he did, he just didn't understand why he had to read them aloud. He could read! He just hated reading aloud. It made him feel stupid. He glared at the book for a long moment before slinging it across the kitchen
He summoned the book, setting it in front of the boy once more. "I can do this all day, Bain. The sooner you try, the sooner we will be done with this." When the boy merely glared at him, he sighed. "You have to talk to me. I cannot help you if you don't tell me where you are struggling." He added quietly.
"I don't need help! I'm perfectly able to read on my own."
He shook his head, flipping through the pages until he found that passages he was looking for. These were for testing comprehension, how much of what Ban read that he actually understood. "I understand that. Would you be willing to try this one then? You don't have to read it aloud. You just have to answer the questions at the end. Alright?"
He huffed, staring at the book for a long moment before finally pulling it closer to him. He forced his eyes to focus on the words, chewing on his lip. The letters still reversed themselves, but it was easier for him to make out the words when he didn't have to read it aloud. Bain stopped at the questions, reading them slowly before hesitating. He picked up the pencil he had given him and carefully circled what he hoped was the right answer for the first few questions before stopping at the last. What had the boy decided to eat? He had read that part but he couldn't remember. He always had that problem on tests, he always forgot something important. There were only three answers so he knew he could just guess. He circled one before pushing the book back to Remus. "There, happy?"
"Attitude." He warned quietly before reading over the answers. It had been clear to him from watching Bain answer the questions that the teenager only took in part of what he was reading. He had a feeling he was reading too fast to truly comprehend what he was reading. Out of the five questions, he had missed two. He flipped forward a few pages, picking a story that had a bit higher vocabulary but remained on the same comprehension level. He might just be able to gauge the boy's reading levels from the comprehension tests. "Let's attempt this one next. But this time, slow down when you read. You can even use your finger to follow the words." He responded finally, setting it back in front of the teenager. He actually planned on teaching the teenager that technique to help him learn better.
He wasn't a baby! He didn't need to use his finger to read the words! He glowered down at the book, staring at it for several minutes without taking any of it in before slowly starting to focus on the letters. He did slow down this time, as this passage seemed harder. It took longer for him to reach the questions but he had was able to answer the first two quickly, because he had been able to remember those answers immediately. He struggled on the next two questions but the last one was easy. He was more confident this time that he had gotten a few of them right. He pushed the book back to the older man before standing and moving to the fridge. He was hungry, again.
"There's brownies in a container next to the sink." He knew exactly what the teenager was looking for after all. He had been right about him reading too fast. With a harder vocabulary, Bain had managed to get four of the questions right. He flipped to another section, picking a passage that was more difficult. "Once you get your snack, let's do the next section. Just as you did last time, continue to read slowly. It's not about finishing fast, it's about understanding what you read." He stated firmly, giving the child a small smile when he didn't receive a glare this time. At least the teenager wasn't quite as frustrated now, although he did know how quickly that could change.
-x-
Mary sighed softly, shaking her head at the young man currently taking his fists to the wall in the counselors lounge. She touched her hand to her pendant to call Jake before stepping fully into the room and quietly shutting the door. It would not be good if one of the kids saw Charlie this angry. She could only guess at what could be wrong and there were dozens of possibility. Sometimes, they just needed to hit something. Which would be what the punching bag in the corner of the room was for. "Charlie." She called softly, keeping her hands visible and staying several feet away from him. He spun to face her and she took a deep breath. Of course he was crying. The question was, why? "What's going on, Charlie?"
He growled, turning away from her and slamming his fist back into the stone wall. The pain helped clear his head and while he didn't condone Phil's self-injurious behavior, he wasn't actually trying to harm himself. He just needed to punch something and the bag had not been satisfying. The pain just drove the fog away, it made it easier to focus, so he could think clearly.
The quick message back from Jake told her that he was busy. She didn't doubt that she could handle Charlie, or that he would listen to her. She knew he would but it was often much easier if it was the two of them. Jake was also closer to Charlie, just as she was closer to Kate. They had both taken on older sibling roles with the younger two, just as Henry had somehow managed to take on that role with the two of them. "Hey, Charlie? Can you look at me a minute, please?"
He grunted again, tuning her out as he pulled back his arm to swing at the wall again. He wasn't even making a dent in the stone, although his hand was stinging. He spun around when a hand caught his wrist, other arm ready to fly. He wouldn't have been able to stop it from hitting her, but Mary merely caught his other wrist, grasping one with each hand.
"Enough." His eyes had widen when he had realized that it was her he had almost hit. She wasn't a trained adolescent counselor for nothing. She knew how to restrain an angry teenager to keep them from harming themselves or her. Charlie wasn't much more than a teenager and he was definitely angry. "Can you tell me what's going on?"
"I'm fine." He growled, trying to pull his wrists out of her hold. But she was holding them tightly and he didn't want to hurt her.
"You're punching a wall. That's not okay. " She wouldn't mention the tears. She knew him well enough now to know that he would be embarrassed that he was crying, even though there was absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about. "Talk to me, Charlie."
"I'm fine!" He tried to tug away from her, even as she gently pulled him with her. He did not want to sit down. Because if he sat down, he would have to talk. He didn't want to talk. He was fine!
She stopped at the table, gently pushing him into a chair before crouching in front of him. She took hold of his wrists again, this time holding them lightly. "I'm aware that you are breathing, Charlie. Talk to me, please. What has you this upset?" She responded quietly, locking eyes with the younger man until he looked away.
He looked away from her, shaking his head. He didn't want to talk about it, he just wanted to hit something. He just wanted to take his rage out on something, because he couldn't show it in front of his boys. He especially couldn't show it around little Ben. It would terrify the child, more than he already was. That little boy...he took a deep breath, fighting the urge to break away from Mary and start pummeling the walls again. "Ben."
Ah. That made sense, actually. She had read the little boy's file, after all. More than that, she was getting to know the mundane-born child. Every adult who talked to these children became very protective of all of them, but especially of the youngest of them. The first year students, the ten and eleven year olds, tore at her heartstrings and she didn't spend all day with them. Charlie, Phil, Rani and Kate did. "What happened?"
"He was testing and I knew he was. So I did what we always do, I disciplined him fairly and then I hugged him. And he started sobbing." The little boy had been so confused and upset, not because he had gotten in trouble but because he had still cared about him after. That wasn't even the part that made him want to pummel the walls, since he couldn't pummel those awful human beings who called themselves parents.
All of the children tested them, to prove to themselves that they wouldn't change their minds, that they wouldn't hurt them, that they were really safe here. She was pretty sure it wasn't what the little boy had done that had made him so angry. "What did little Ben say?" She asked finally, gently rubbing her thumb over the back of his clenched hand.
He took another deep breath, fighting to keep his anger down. "Those horrid monsters told him that it was his fault they treated him like shit because he was bad. He didn't understand why I would still care for him after he had been in trouble and he didn't even know what forgiveness meant. He was upset because he thought I should treat him like those awful people had. He couldn't understand why I was still willing to touch him." He had wanted to hurt them as badly as they had damaged that little boy.
She released one of his hands, still rubbing her thumb over the back of the other one, before gently resting a hand on his shoulder. She understood his anger, of course. She had been more than angry about the treatment of several of their girls. While Ben's abuse had not been physical, he had still been tormented by his parents because of his magic. The child had never known touch, of any form. He wasn't allowed physical comfort, he wasn't taught how to do anything that involved touch. Charlie and Phil had to teach him how to take a shower, how to wash and brush his hair, how to brush his teeth. The child had been left to figure it out on his own and he had never been allowed soap, or toothpaste, or a towel. She knew that Eric had given the child three baths before they could clear him medically. He had been so filthy when they got him that they couldn't visually tell if he had any cuts or bruises. All of the counselors had taken to squeezing the little boy's shoulder or ruffling his hair or patting his back, any kind touch they could after asking for permission. They always asked for the boy's permission to touch them and she knew how hard that had been for Charlie to explain to him. She knew how upset Charlie had been that he even had to explain that to the boy. So she understood where his anger was coming from, because now he had to explain to a preteen that they wouldn't take away physical affection and touch as a punishment. "I know it's hard, Charlie, to contain that anger. I get it. But you have to remember something. That little boy has you and Phil, all of us, now. He's no longer alone, no longer with those creatures. I hit quite a few bags when I learned what Karrie and Emma had done to them, what Ariana and Jamie had gone through just to survive. Every time I feel that rage now, I remember that they are now safe and loved. Those monsters can no longer harm them." She stated quietly, before leaning back on her heels. She got why he had been so angry, but he had to learn to express it healthily. Not by punching walls.
"I'm trying to learn to remember that. Sometimes I just want to hit something." He replied, not looking at her for a long moment. He knew what he would see there, after all; understanding and worry. He had felt so much rage lately for those children, not because of them. They had done nothing to deserve that, nothing, and sometimes that made even more uncomfortable thoughts appear, thoughts about his own childhood.
"That's why we have a punching bag. You don't hit walls, alright? Unless you really want Eric or Lucas fussing over broken bones..." She trailed off, smiling when he groaned. Eric and Lucas fussed as much over the staff getting hurt, or harming themselves, however unintentional, as they did the students. She would check over his hand in a minute but right now she knew what he needed, if he would allow it. She stood slowly, taking a step back and opening her arms up to him. She caught the young man as he lunged into her arms, feeling his head rest against her shoulder. While he was a bit taller than her, she could easily run a hand through his hair, even as she tightened her arms around him. Charlie didn't usually let other adults touch or hold him, but he was becoming more accepting of comfort and for that she was glad. Sometimes they all just needed a hug,
-x-
She studied the skyline for a moment more before returning her pencil to the page. This was the second time she had been outside on the balcony. She had asked Eric if she could draw out here today and he had agreed. Emma glanced toward the teenager who was also sketching the grounds. She was sketching a general skyline of the beautiful grounds in front of them and Isaac was turned toward where they could just see the lake, drawing it and its surroundings. The sound of pencils to paper, of pages being turned, of the birds singing, it was calming to her. While she could explore the infirmary now, she was still stuck on that floor. Being outside was freeing, even if there was a healer with them, doing paperwork of his own.
Isaac studied the easel for a moment, comparing his outline to the view before nodding. This version of the sketch he liked, he had only erased and redid the outline three times so far. Now he just had to decide if he wanted to do oil or acrylic and if he wanted to make it a magical or mundane painting. "What do you think, Emma? Oil or acrylic?" He inquired, glancing at the little girl who was sitting on the ground, sketchbook in her lap and coloured pencils surrounding her.
"You could do watercolor, it would give it a faded look. Or diluted acrylic, depending on what you are aiming for. They dry faster. I've never actually used oil paint." She shrugged, scanning her coloured pencils for the first color she needed. She always did the main colors first, like the trees, before filling in the background details, the sky, so that the background accented the drawing instead of overwhelming her main focus.
Watercolor wasn't a bad idea, actually, and the irony of doing the lake in watercolor wasn't lost on him. The recreation center he had gone to as a child, to escape the house, had rarely had oil-based paint and he used it whenever he could, even though it took forever to dry and it had to dry between colors and coats. Watercolor had been the most readily available and easiest to use. It dried within minutes, so he could do almost all of it today. "I think there is oil paint in the art room downstairs, we could try it together one day. Watercolor is a good choice for this, though." He responded, glancing toward Lucas.
He glanced up from his work, nodding at the teen. "Mika." He called softly, smiling when the elf popped into view.
"Can you bring us watercolor paints and the brushes for them?" The elf nodded, popping away. A minute later, paint popped into being on the small table beside him. Eric had asked him if he would mind going out on the healer's terrace with the two teens because both wanted to draw the view. From what he could see, both Emma and Isaac were pretty talented artists. They had found that drawing was one of the things that helped keep Emma calm, helped her keep her magic under control. It also helped the twelve year-old express her emotions and thoughts better.
"Are you going to animate it?" She asked, not bothering to look up from shading a tree trunk. She was using three different shades of brown to give it a realistic bark texture. The one time she had tried animating her drawings, they had burst into flames. Alexis had told her that until her magic was completely under control, that she was putting too much magic into the drawings. One day she would be able to do it, just not know.
"I don't think so. Sometimes the mundane versions are much more beautiful. If I give it to a friend, maybe. But otherwise, probably not." He shrugged, tilting his head slightly as he mixed the paint he needed. He just needed to make it a little lighter, the color was too dark for his purposes.
She giggled, glancing over at Lucas before looking at Isaac. "You're going to give it to your girlfriend." She teased, sticking her tongue out when he shot her a look. She did know who he liked, after all. She often overheard Rose's conversations with other teenagers. It wasn't her fault the older kids liked to gossip.
"Hey!" He grinned at her, shaking his head. Just like his brother, she listened to more conversations that she was suppose to. "She's not my girlfriend." He added, finding the right mixture of blue and white. He dipped his flat brush into his water, shaking off the excess water before dipping it gently into the mixture.
"Not yet." Emma teased, moving so that she was closer to the railing before stretching out on her stomach, so she could shade better.
Lucas shook his head, eyeing the preteen for a moment. But she was no danger to herself here and if that was how she wanted to draw, then there was nothing wrong with it. While they were already using art with Emma, to help her express her emotions, perhaps they could also use it with Isaac. The teenager had spoken more to the little girl than he ever had to him or most other adults. It was worth a thought, anyway.
-x-
Severus was so used to flooing into Alexis' office, he was the deputy after all, that he didn't bother to check before stepping through. He glanced at the two women, rolling his eyes at the glare his sister shot his way. "Just need to use the phone." He stated, moving toward where Alexis kept the small, landline phone. It was the fastest way to get in touch with mundane families in an emergency and one of the first changes she had created. All mundane parents were now given a number they could call if they needed to reach their child, in case of a sudden death or accident, or even just to check on their children. He needed to use it to see if the family he was about to go visit had the time to talk to him. He had been trying to get the last of the students schedules set but there was one third year who he needed to talk to.
"Everything okay?" She asked, touching Kate's hand gently for a moment before turning her eyes back to the intruding potions master. She had warded the doors but apparently forgot about the floo.
"It should be. Continue what you were doing, I'll be gone momentarily." He smirked at her, softening his expression when he saw the look on Kate's face. The poor younger woman looked so overwhelmed. Perhaps he should start checking before flooing in. He was sure, however, that no one else knew about these two. As long as they weren't hurting anyone, he wouldn't say anything. He turned his attention back to the phone, quickly dialing the number. He listened to it ring for a moment before a man answered the phone. "Yes, Mr. Granger? This is Severus Snape from Hogwarts. I was wondering if you and your wife had time to discuss your daughter's class schedule this afternoon. You do? Wonderful. Thirty minutes, alright? Alright, thank you." He hung up, turning to glance at his sister. "I'm going to see if I can get Ms. Granger's classes worked out. Ward the floo." He remarked, shaking his head. He nodded to Kate before flooing back to his own office.
She sighed, taking hold of the younger woman's hand again. "Relax, please. It's alright." She didn't bother warding the floo, knowing that with her brother intruding, Kate was embarrassed and tense. They wouldn't be getting much further today. And they had made progress! Kate had actually let her kiss her.
-x-
He took a deep breath, knocking on the front door of the Grangers house. He had been here to pick up Hermione, for Harry's birthday, before, so he did know her parents. It was just getting that stubborn girl to understand that she couldn't take every class offer, especially classes that were not being offered for third years.
Elizabeth Granger opened the door, smiling at the visiting professor. While Hermione had complained about him, she actually like the man. He was tough, he challenged her daughter, and he cared about her safety. That was what mattered to her. "George, Professor Snape is here." She beckoned him inside, smiling again when he slide his shoes of just inside the door. He had noticed the last time he had came that they left their shoes in the foyer and had asked if they would like for him to do the same.
He followed her into the kitchen, shaking George's hand when the man offered it, before taking a seat at their table. He took the tea cup the other man offered, giving a nod of thanks. "Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice. I know you got my last missive about Hermione's class choices. Your daughter is very bright but she is also, well.."
"Stubborn. She gets that from her father." Elizabeth laughed, shaking her head. Their daughter was intelligent, strong-willed, and very stubborn. "Hermione! Come downstairs please." She called.
"Unless she had those darn headphones on again, she will be down in a minute. Is there anything we need to know to support you?" He was very aware that the professor had been trying for over a week to get their daughter to commit to taking fewer classes, to make her choices. He knew because she had been complaining about it loudly and every time either of them suggested weighing the pros and cons of each class or researching the subject matter to see if she was actually interested, she'd get mad and storm off. While they weren't wizards, they both knew their daughter and how much she would take on if she wasn't stopped. She was just a little, thirteen year-old girl. If the professor thought she was trying to take on too much, they would support him.
He sighed softly, pulling a piece of parchment out of his pocket. It had the girl's current schedule, without the electives, on it. "Each third year student has to take between two and three electives. They also cannot take electives offered only for upper years. And starting this year, first through fifth years are required to take literature and maths. First through Third years also take Latin and Magical or Mundane studies, based on how they were raised. For some reason she either ignored that note in the letter we send out or believes that it doesn't apply to her." He stated quietly, grimacing at the stomping he could hear at her coming down the stairs.
"Hermione, you are not a wild animal." Elizabeth called, sighing when the stomping finally stopped.
"Sorry, mom. What's- hello, professor." She frowned, wishing for a moment that she had bothered to brush her hair today. She had been listening to music and doing research on her computer. She hadn't heard the professor arrive, nor was she quite sure why he was there.
"Professor Snape had come to discuss your class options with us." George stated firmly, gesturing at a chair. He raised an eyebrow when she glared at him, meeting brown eyes before she finally sat down.
"I told you, professor. I want to take all of them." He didn't have to involve her parents! They didn't involve parents from magical families. Did they?
"That's not possible, Ms. Granger. For one, a few of them are at the same time. Secondly, you cannot take electives for upper years. And finally, every third year student is limited to three." He responded quietly, shaking his head. He had told her this repeatedly, but she kept ignoring him.
"I'm smart enough to take upper level electives." She argued, ignoring the look her mother was giving her.
He closed his eyes for a brief moment, praying for patience. "It had nothing to do with being smart enough, Ms. Granger. It's not about the work being harder, even. It's about magic. At thirteen, your magic is not developed enough or controlled enough to even imagine shaping it in those ways." He hesitated for a moment, not actually wanting to upset the child, or her parents, but he had to make it clear to her. Otherwise she would just try the wand work on her own. "I do not want to be the one to call your parents to inform them that you died trying to perform magic that we, as a teaching staff, knew your young body and mind could not handle. I have seen children die trying to do magic that they weren't ready for, Hermione. I don't want to see that happen to you." At the open mouth and shocked eyes, he knew he had finally gotten through to her on that point, at least. From her parents expressions, he wouldn't have to worry about it anyway. He could easily put himself in their place, he understood the brief fear he saw there. He didn't even want to think about anything like that happened to his children.
She blinked rapidly, leaning into her mother's side. She could die performing advanced magic? But she had done so before! Granted, usually it was only simple spells. She would stick with simple spells and what they taught her. Because she heard the truth in his voice and the tightness of her mother's arm around her. She was a teenager, she didn't want to die because she was stubborn. "Okay, professor. I won't try that magic until you or another professor says my magic can handle it."
That was more than he thought he would get. He hadn't wanted to scare her, but if it got him that promise, if the child would be careful, he would take it. Especially since she was a good friend of Harry's and he had seen that boy get into trouble with her before. "That's all I ask, Hermione. If you are unsure about whether a spell or potion, or anything, is dangerous, please ask. I don't turn students away and you won't get in trouble for asking before trying something dangerous." He tapped the schedule he had with his wand, offering a copy to her parents before giving the preteen one. "This is your current class schedule. You can add three classes, no more."
"This is a lot of classes. Is this typical?" Elizabeth asked, raising an eyebrow. She counted around eleven. That was a lot for preteens. But she did notice that most classes they only had once a week.
"We added four mandatory classes this year but we have also made some classes two hours and some an hour and half, instead of three times a week. We decided we would rather a child take an hour and a half of literature and writing rather than four hours of offensive and defensive magic when they can barely read the text book. We have also added in study periods and some days have free periods." It had taken him and Alexis days to figure out a good plan to even out the work load from the extra classes. They had called in older professors and Eric and Tim, to make sure they weren't overwhelming the children. First through third years, the groups most heavily effected, did a lot more theory than practical magic, although third year was the start of doing more practical magic.
She studied the schedule for a long moment, frowning slightly. "I have to take magical studies professor?" She was aware she didn't know everything about the wizarding community, but she thought she knew enough to get by.
"All mundane-raised students have to take magical studies, just as magic-raised students have to take mundane studies. It is to help you better interact with your peers, as it puts everyone on the same level. On the plus side, taking magical studies also involves playing with magical toys and games and trying new sweets." His two had quickly decided that it was going to be a wicked class, if they got to eat all kinds of candy. Teddy had been happy about taking mundane studies when he learned he would get to watch some cartoons. They were trying to make both classes a bridge between two worlds, so that mundane-born students could keep up with wizard-born peers who had spent years using quills and owls and to create conversation.
"That sounds like a fun class, Hermione." George stated, watching his daughter pour over the schedule. He knew exactly what she was doing; she was trying to find a place to shove an extra class or two. "And yes, dear, I'm sure you probably have to have study hall."
She grumbled under her breath, pouting for a moment. "Only three?"
"Only three. I will tell you now, Ms. Granger, that you will not like divination." He responded, meeting her eyes when she finally looked up at him. None of his children were taking divination. While it could be learned, it wasn't logical enough for the bushy haired girl and his children weren't even interested. If any of them had the Sight, it would be a different story but since they didn't, he had actually encouraged them to take something that they could use later in life.
She hadn't really wanted to take divination anyway. "Is Hagrid teaching Magical Creatures?"
He bit his lip to keep his instant response in, it wasn't appropriate for the time and place. Hagrid wouldn't be teaching anything that involved magical creatures ever, if he had a choice in the matter. The man thought the most dangerous of creatures were cute and cuddly! "He is not. Magical creatures is a good choice if you are interested. It is held outside, more often than not, and it tends to be very popular. However, while you will not handle or see them, it will be touched on a bit in your magical studies class."
She knew Harry was taking it but she wasn't quite sure she wanted to. If they learned what creatures were dangerous in magical studies, she could easily take something else. She knew she wanted to take Runes and Arithmancy, so maybe she could also take healing. "Runes, Arithmancy, and Healing, then. "She answered finally, blinking when those classes suddenly appeared on her schedule. "Wicked."
"That's settled then." George smiled at his daughter, squeezing her shoulder. She could be mature when she wanted to, although sometimes they expected her to act much older than she actually was. He did still love watching his daughter react to something like the child she really was.
"I will have your book list delivered by owl as soon as I get back to the school. If you need any help reaching the alley, please let us know. " He stated, standing slowly. His work was done. He loved watching mundane-born students, even those who had been in the wizarding community for a while, react to simple magic like that.
"We will. Thank you, Professor Snape."
-x-