Chapter 56. Time
1st May 1998 4:33pm
Everly laughed as she shook the little red dragon, smashing it against the felt doll in Astrids hand.
"Oh no! The dragon has eaten me!" Astrid faux shrieked as Everly let out a little roar. "Ahhh!"
"'dwagon'!" Everly laughed a toothy grin, a dribble of drool crawling from the corner of her mouth. Severus worked at his desk, one eye on his parchment, one eye on the duo playing on the rug in front of his work station. The corner of his mouth almost turned up into a smile. Almost.
"Come here dragon, let me wipe that face of yours!" Astrid smiled, pulling the toddler she pulled at the sleeve on her wrist and went to wipe her daughters face.
"Here, use this… were you born in a barn?" Severus sighed with a glint in his eye, throwing down a handkerchief before Astrid's blue knitted sleeve made contact with the drool. Astrid released her sleeve and reached for the handkerchief, monogrammed SS, in green stitching of course.
"I've been covered in much worse than drool, as have you if I recall," Astrid laughed as she took the handkerchief to Everly's chops.
"No! Mummy! No!" The toddler squealed trying to pull away.
"Come here you wriggly little dragon!" Astrid laughed, pulling the handkerchief away she blew raspberries on the girl's cheek and Everly laughed in delight.
Their giggles soon ceased when the fireplace erupted in green flame, and a dark clad figure stepped into the office.
"Lucius," Astrid breathed, a slight quiver to her voice. Absence is said to make the heart grow fonder, but it only made Astrid more anxious. She hadn't seen him since she fell asleep in his arms, since they last made love. A feeling of nauseating guilt radiated in her stomach as she reminded herself, he was not her last lover.
"What brings you here?" She asked as she noticed his shocked, worried expression. He looked worse, if that was possible. His stubble now a lot more than just a day or two old, angry bags under his eyes. He was noticeably slimmer, and in a sickly kind of way. His appearance shocked Astrid somewhat. Severus watched as Lucius stepped into the office, his footsteps were unsteady. Astrid removed Everly from her lap, placing her on the floor next to her red dragon, and moved towards her fiancé.
"Is everything okay?" She asked softly, placing a worried hand on his arm. He shook his head no, and with trembling arms pulled Astrid into a close embrace, nestling into her hair he took in her familiar sweet scent. Looking over her shoulder he looked to the headmaster, who dropped his quill and sat back in his chair with a quizzical, yet worried look in his eye, he knew something was wrong. Something had happened.
"I must speak with Severus, my dear." Lucius told Astrid as he held her at arm's length and stared into her beautiful blue eyes. He could see something there, in her sea blue orbs, but couldn't quite place it… but he could tell something was off.
"Take Everly upstairs Astrid, we will need to speak alone I think." Severus sighed.
"You think correctly old friend," Lucius voice cracked. Astrid turned from Lucius grip and swept up her daughter in silence, her mind wondered what was happening, what was wrong? She flashed to the idea of Harrys defeat before pushing it from her mind, no not that, anything but that. She knew whatever it was, it was grave. Propping Everly on her hip she moved towards the iron staircase.
"Dwagon!" Everly protested around Astrid's hold, reaching her small arms out behind her mother. "No! Dwagon!"
"Shh, we'll come back for it later." Astrid promised, kissing her daughter upon the head as they made their way up the stairs.
The little red dragon lay abandoned on the rug, next to the little felt doll.
Astrid tried her best to listen in as she kept an eye on her daughter, who was currently dragging a stuffed hippogriff around the wooden floor, attempting to climb on furniture and get into things she shouldn't. She stood by the drapes, her ear pressed to the join, her eyes watching her daughter intently.
"Gringotts… something… a golden cup…" Astrid barely heard Lucius between Everly's laughs.
"…he know?" The voice of Severus Snape.
"… a massacre… my house… goblins… close…" Lucius' voice was unmistakably upset.
"Any day now." Severus said, clear as day.
There was silence for a while, until Astrid heard the familiar sound of large shoes coming up the iron stairs. She jumped from the drapes onto the floor next to Everly, who was now sat turning the pages of an upside-down astronomy book, her hippogriff at her side. Astrid turned her head as a figure stepped through the drapes, blonde hair cascading around her shoulders. She hadn't expected Lucius, or perhaps it was that she didn't want it to be Lucius?
"Is everything all right?" Astrid asked as she eyed his reddened eyes, she feigned ignorance to the snippets she had heard through the closed curtain.
"Is she not a bit young for astronomy?" Lucius smiled, avoiding her question, as he crouched down beside his daughter, running a gentle hand over her blonde head.
"Best to start them early, isn't it?" Astrid smiled lightly.
"She will be an incredibly smart witch someday, just like her mother," Lucius smiled, picking Everly up, he stood with her in his arms, but Everly struggled against his hold, pushing upon his chest. Astrid jumped to her feet.
"No! Mummy!" Everly cried, reaching out for Astrid. Lucius obliged his daughters request with a sigh, handing her into the arms of his estranged fiancé.
"There once was a time when she didn't know you… and now it's a time when she doesn't know me." Lucius breathed, he watched how Everly curled herself into her mother, holding onto Astrid's hair comfortingly. "One day she will have the both us, and we will be one family under one roof."
"One day... maybe" Astrid forced a smile in return.
"I brought something for you, Astrid," Lucius said, clearing his throat.
"Oh?" Astrid asked, and watched as he reached into his black worn coat. She remembered a time he always looked well dressed, he practically embodied the word rich back then. What a contrast he was now.
Lucius' hand retreated from his coat, pulling out a wand. Not just any wand. Astrid's wand.
"That's… my wand," Astrid breathed as she took it from his fingers. It felt strangely unfamiliar yet also familiar in her hands, the last time she set eyes on it, it was snapped in two. Oh, how long ago that was… before Everly was even born. "I never thought I'd see this again… it's as good as new, like the day I got it from Daigon Alley."
"I had it fixed, I thought it was time you were reunited with it."
"By Olivander?" Astrid asked without thought, her mind flashed to her imaginings of the old man being cooped up in the Malfoy Manor dungeons.
"Yes," Lucius sighed, he didn't sound happy about it, in fact his voice almost sounded sad, regretful. That was something at least.
"Am I allowed it?" Astrid asked all of a sudden, cocking an eyebrow, as she rolled the wand in her hand.
"What the Dark Lord doesn't know won't kill him." Lucius breathed. "Besides… you might find yourself needing it soon, I need you to be prepared… to be ready… for what's to come Astrid."
"What is to come Lucius?" Astrid asked, setting Everly down on the floor. The tot wondered off on steady legs in search of her hippogriff.
"I do not know for sure, but I know… it will not be good."
Astrid nodded as she stared down at the wand in her hand, unsure if she even knew how to use it anymore. It had been so long since she had last used magic.
"Are you okay, my love?" Lucius asked, stepping towards his lover. Astrid stepped away without thought, slightly shocked at her own coldness. "You seem troubled."
A sickly nausea filled her.
"I… no, I…" Astrid tried to find the worse, tried to find some strength. She couldn't even be sure she wanted to speak the words; would she regret them? "I've been here nearly a year now Lucius, without you… I've had lots of time to think…"
"Think about what?" Lucius asked, his brows furrowing, forehead wrinkling. A feeling of sickness washed over him too, he had inkling, he'd caught the vibe as soon as he'd stepped into the office that day.
"About us," Astrid swallowed. "I love you Lucius."
"But?" Lucius asked, butting in, his voice cracking in anticipation of what he knew was coming.
"I love you so much that it hurts… often times… I don't want to love you, because you, your choices, they hurt me, go against everything I am."
"Is this about the Lovegood girl?" Lucius huffed, his face twisting.
"It's not about the Lovegood girl, it's about everything Lucius, we are entirely different people, of different backgrounds, different morals."
"You have always known who I am Astrid, what I've done?" Lucius breathed. "I thought you accepted that?"
"I thought I could change you, I thought you would change for me, for us," Astrid nodded to their playing daughter.
"I am a better man now than the day I met you Astrid," Lucius defended, it was true, somewhat, he had abandoned a lot of his bigoted, selfish ways.
"You were going to hand Harry over to the Dark Lord, Lucius." Astrid shook her head.
"For you, for Everly so we could be together, be a family!"
"Do you not see the error in your ways? He would've been killed Lucius… not by your hand of course, but by your actions,"
"He's one boy."
"You simply don't get it, even one sacrifice is too high a price Lucius." Astrid sighed. Lucius was amiss for words, Unable to compute exactly what was happening, how could this happen? How could she do this?
Astrid took his silence as a prompt to walk towards the bathroom, disappearing into the marble room for just a moment.
"Is this because of Severus?" Lucius called after her, his voice irate now.
Astrid emerged from the bathroom moments later, shaking her head.
"It has nothing to do with him, and everything to do with us Lucius, we are… incompatible." Astrid sighed, tears were evident in her eyes now, shining in the glow of the afternoon sun.
"Let me into your mind then, let me see! Let me understand!" Lucius' jaw tightened.
"No, Lucius." Astrid shook her head as she neared him. She outstretched her hand, and uncurled her fist. In her palm sat the silver ring with the large emerald. Lucius shook his head.
"It is yours." He said, staring into her with sad and angry eyes.
"I cannot keep it Lucius," Astrid sighed. Lucius simply turned his back on the young woman, heading towards the drapes.
"Keep it for our daughter then," He sighed with a gritty voice.
2nd May 1998 1:08am
"Astrid," A voice called the young woman as she slumbered deeply in her bed. "Astrid, you must awaken,"
"Nooo, I'm tired," She groaned sleepily, burying her head beneath the covers. A hand pressed to her back, shaking her softly.
"You must wake."
"It's the middle of the night," Astrid grumbled, pushing her head up and noting the starry windows and candlelit room. Severus sat on the edge of the bed, a stern, hard look on his face.
"Harry Potter has been spotted in Hogsmead." He announced. The sleepy girl was pulled from her half-awake state, sitting up quickly.
"What?" She gasped, "Is he okay? Where is he now?" She questioned.
"I believe him to be in the castle. The Carrows are searching for him as we speak…"
"What are we going to do?" Astrid asked, pressing a hand lightly to her chest.
"I'm calling an entire school assembly in the great hall, get dressed." Severus told her monotonously as he raised from the bed. Astrid slipped out of the covers and dashed to the armoire.
"Everly?" She asked as she whipped off her oversized sleep shirt and replaced it with a baby blue t-shirt and a long white knit cardigan.
"Bring her, she cannot be left here alone. Make sure to wear something comfortable." Severus told her darkly. "I will meet you in the Great Hall."
Severus swept from the room, his cloak billowing behind him as he pushed through the drapes. Astrid felt as if a stone had dropped into her stomach, a sickly anxiety washing over her. She nodded and pulled on a pair of grey gym leggings, and slipped her feet into some white trainers. Carefully she caressed Everly in her cot bed, waking the toddler as carefully and softly as she could. Lifting her out Astrid rested the half-asleep toddler on her hip, and set off for the Great Hall.
Students marched the stairs of the castle, line by line heading into the Great Hall in chilling silence. Astrid slipped in with them and made her way to the edge of the room, standing nervously next to Poppy Pomfrey and Minerva McGonagall.
"What is going on Astrid?" Madam Pomfrey whispered, as she eyed the Carrows entering the Great Hall, stalking between the lines of students. Astrid shrugged her shoulders and swallowed hard, as the Carrows made their way to the front and stood in front of the towering stained-glass windows. Astrid held Everly tight to her body, her hand resting on the back of Everly's soft blonde hair, she caressed her softly, whispering for her to calm as the child began to stir and squirm.
Severus Snape was last to enter the Great Hall, striding down the centre he climbed the stairs slowly and turned to face the students and staff dramatically.
"Many of you are surely wondering, why I have summoned you at this hour…." Severus began as he addressed the room in his deep monotonous drawl. "It's come to my attention! That earlier this evening… Harry Potter was sighted in Hogsmeade."
Whispers and small gasps broke out amongst the students.
"Now! Should anyone…. Student or staff… attempt to aid Mr Potter… they will be punished in a manner consistent with the severity of their transgression, furthermore… any person found to have knowledge of these events… who fails to come forward… will be treated as… equally guilty." Severus announced darkly.
Astrid's heart rate quickened as the tension in the room grew. The Carrows stood behind Severus with twisted smiles, like leashed dogs, ready to be set upon their target. It made Astrid feel sick to her stomach inside, she was at least comforted by the fact Harry had not been caught yet, and Severus was not likely to allow it to happen.
"Now then…" The headmaster began to descend the stairs slowly, making his way down the centre row of children separating the houses. "If anyone in here has any knowledge of Mr Potters movements this evening… I invite them to step forward… now."
Snape looked about expectantly. His eyes flashed to Astrid, who gulped in anticipation. The silence in the Great Hall was deafening.
Just then…
A boy stepped out from the Gryffindors…
Harry!
Gasps filled the air as all turned to the boy who lived.
"It seems, despite your exhaustive defensive strategies… you have a security problem headmaster!" Harry faced off against Severus as the doors to the Great Hall opened, revealing members of the Order of the Phoenix.
"I'm afraid it's quite extensive." Harry spat. "How dare you stand where he stood! Tell them how it happened that night! Tell them! How you looked him in the eye… a man who trusted you… and killed him! Tell them!"
Severus froze for a moment, staring down the boy in front of him with disbelief, before pulling his wand from his sleeve. Minerva brushed passed Astrid quickly, pushing Harry out of the way, and drawing her own wand on the headmaster. Severus began to lower his wand for a moment, his eyes softening, when he remembered the two death eaters stood at his back. He pointed his wand fiercely at the transfiguration professor, narrowing his eyes on her with warning. Students scattered to the edges of the hall, pressing themselves out of harms way as Minerva and Severus stared each other down.
Minerva made the first move, a fiery spell shooting out the end of her wand, but Severus deflected it as if it was nothing. Everly cried out, startled by the noise and lights. Astrid covered her head, holding her as close as possible as a fight broke out before them.
Minerva fired her spell again, and again, Severus deflected them left and right, never making a move to send his own curse at Minerva. Severus backed up as Minerva grew more ferocious with every spell she cast, fireballs shooting out of her wand one after another. Severus deflected them, the spells instead hitting Alecto and Amycus, and the two death eaters dropped to the floor. Severus took that as his moment, and disappearing into a black shroud, he flew threw the stained-glass window and out of the Great Hall.
Roars of cheer and applause chimed out as Minera waved her wand, the fires of the Great Hall lighting and filling the room with a soft warm glow.
Harry, despite the cheers, wore a look of shock and fear on his face as he lowered himself to the ground. Everyone looked up to the ceiling as dark thunderous clouds formed over head in the Great Hall.
Then: A scream. A terrifying scream.
Astrid covered Everly's ears as best she could whilst a first-year girl crouched in the corner, screaming.
Then another scream, another girl, elsewhere in the Great Hall!
"I know that many of you will want to fight…" A voice hissed from seemingly nowhere, everyone looked around, most with confused faced as they tried to place the serpent like hiss. Hairs rose on the back of Astrids neck and goosebumps covered her chest as she recognised the sickly voice. It was him. He was here.
"Some of you may even think that to fight is wise… but this is folly. Give me Harry Potter, do this and none shall be harmed… give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave Hogwarts untouched. Give me harry potter and you will be rewarded. You have one hour."
And just like that the grey clouds above disapperated.
"What are you waiting for!" Pansy Parkison shrieked, pointing at Harry. "Someone, grab him!"
Ginny pressed herself in front of Harry, shielding him from the Slytherin girl. Hermione too, moved to Harrys side, and soon he was joined by a whole host of protectors who defiantly stared down Pansy.
"Students out of bed!" A distant voice shouted. "Students out of bed!" the voice neared; it was undoubtedly Mr Filch. "Students in the corridor!" He yelled as he entered the Great Hall in a fluster, his cat wrapped in his arms.
"They are supposed to be out of bed, you blithering idiot!" Minerva scolded.
"Oh… sorry ma'am" Filch said with some small embarrassment.
"As it happens Mr Filch… your arrival is most opportune," Minerva said as she approached the caretaker. "If you would, I would like you please, to lead Miss Parkinson and the rest of Slytherin house from the hall."
"Exactly, where is it I'll be leading them to, ma'am?" Asked the caretaker.
"The dungeons would do." Minerva tried to hold back a smile. Everyone, bar the Slytherins, erupted into cheers and applause as Filch led the green clad students out of the hall.
"Professor Moody," Minerva cocked a brow at the History of Magic professor. "Do I need to send you down to the dungeons too?"
"Why would you need to do that?" Astrid asked, with furrowed brows, hurt by the silent accusation.
"Minny, Astrid is on our side, I swear it." Poppy spoke in Astrid's defence stepping forward.
"It's true, she is professor," Neville added.
"Very well then… I presume you have a reason for returning Potter? What is it you need?"
"Time, professor."