Escape from Reality
Leonor stuck to Severus like a limpet. They landed first in a garden overlooking a valley, but Leonor couldn't breathe and the apparition carried them further into a thicket and then to a windy rock towering above the sea.
"Are you world-weary?" Severus was livid. "You could have ended up far worse than Greyback left you! Hope it wasn't noticed that we touched down—" Severus stopped abruptly. The sentence hung unfinished in mid-air. While regenerating, Leonor neither processed where they stopped over nor what Severus said before. The cognition calmed Severus finally and he straightened in triumph.
Leonor coughed laboured, "I need a word!"
"Apparition isn't your best discipline!" sneered Severus in response. He was again composed as always. The fury already vanished behind a fathomless mask of indifference and sarcasm. The dark-haired wizard emanated authority and domination.
"If you randomly change destinations!" complained Leonor first. "You know why I want to talk to you!" shouted Leonor at him.
"Of course, about your daft interest in me."
"Don't tell me that you have not been interested at all!"
"It was worth trying!"
"But you didn't sleep with me, did you?"
Severus just shrugged. "Your body isn't irresistible," replied Severus coldly.
"You played with me?"
"What did you think? That I love you?"
At that moment Leonor lost it. She stared at Severus and for the first time she saw all the warnings alive — the mean teacher, the ugly face framed by the greasy black hair, the ambiguous attitude in politics and private life. Mentioning her body was a low blow.
"I thought you at least liked me! You suggested being friends," said Leonor with weak knees. Her voice was quiet and the shock about the bluntness kept it steady.
"I've got a job to do and I warned you several times. You are not pure enough to be a wife of a Death Eater. The Dark Lord promised me to somebody else and now he'll honour the promise. The arrangements are made. Everything was planned years ago."
"You knew it all the time? You've been waiting for him to return? The impenetrable potions master agreed to an arranged marriage?"
"Sure, I only take the best! Have you heard enough?"
"You lied to me? You're supporting You-Know-Who!"
"You are more naïve than I believed. I hope you fathom now that you should have left the country when you could. It's too late. Greyback will return. He's not used to a failure. I suppose you find your way back into your pathetic life. Nobody cheats the Dark Lord! You are no use to him."
"You are not going to get married! Are you still in love with Lily? Or is it Zora?"
"Believe what you want. I don't care for you. Go back to America! They are waiting for third-rate witches," hissed Severus and looked into eyes filled with tears. He said enough and left Leonor alone returning to the manor of his master quickly. The conversation had been short. Unfortunately, the maximum effectiveness felt like a defeat. Both lives had been full of the wrong things and parting ways meant only one more jigsaw piece of getting more of it. The black magic ruled it all.
XXX
The wind played with the waves and the breeze was chilly. Leonor felt nothing anymore. She was empty. All the love and pride were destroyed. There wasn't enough strength left to even hate Snape with the entire heart. Tears flowed down her cheeks, and she lost every sense for the time until dusk changed into the night. The wind chilled through the bones when she made a final decision.
Leonor managed to arrive at Francesco's before her friends went to bed. A large notice at the entrance displayed 'closed until further notice'. Leonor entered. The door wasn't locked yet and Leonor walked through the dining area into the kitchen.
"Hi, Maria," called Leonor subdued, the hair still scrubby and wild, the eyeshadow smeared on the cheeks. "I'm sorry. You've been right all the time! Severus gave me the elbow," whispered Leonor defeated.
Maria screamed looking at the younger woman. "What did he do to you? You look dreadful!" The witch put immediately an arm around Leonor and led her to the large table in the middle of the room. Everything was tidy. The tranquillity of the family and Maria's sisterly love soothed the heartbreak for a moment.
"Nothing, really nothing. It's just not what I hoped," answered Leonor after a while sadly. "We worked well together, and I was deluded to believe that our relationship steadied. It didn't. I should have noticed the signs through his changing temper. I was blind on both eyes; I wanted to believe in us. It's good you leave now. Severus Snape cannot betray your family to the evil."
"Of course, that Snape isn't the right one for you! You deserve better than a bullying teacher. Francesco, make a hot chocolate!" ordered Maria. "It will blow over. Every Jill has his Jack!"
Francesco said nothing. He was as shocked as much as Maria felt vindicated. The Italian poured hot water from a kettle over a couple of spoons with delicious drinking chocolate and gave it to Leonor. He only touched her shoulder lightly and Leonor knew he blamed himself for encouraging her, but it was entirely Leonor's fault. She'd been hooked. The masculine scent of bamboo, wood, and mint lingered still in the broken heart.
Leonor managed a weak smile warming herself on the outside of the large mug. "Sorry to arrive here like a mess. I just wanted to wish you a safe journey and all the best in Sicily. I'll look after Matteo as good as I can."
"Nothing to worry about. Matteo and his girlfriend will come with us. We will be grandparents in about eight months!" The frostiness between the two witches was blown away and Maria spluttered about all details without waiting for congratulations. Maria didn't hide the joy and in some way, Leonor was glad for it. They spoke for a while. Francesco handed Leonor a wash cloth and Leonor wiped her face and restrained the hair. She looked decent when Maria finished with all the news.
"My goodness! I missed so much in the last couple of months. My best regards to the prospective parents. Will you tell it to Matteo from me?"
"Sure!" Maria nudged Leonor into the ribs. "—and you should talk to Richard if there's any chance to go to Brazil. A change of air changes everything! And after Brazil, you'll visit us in Italy, right?"
"I'll consider it," answered Leonor thoughtfully and hugged her friends tightly. She left waving goodbye with a laughing and a crying eye. She enjoyed their family luck, and she knew they were all saved from Voldemort. Unfortunately, the loneliness clenched her body. One side of Leonor's bed remained cold. It felt like a sudden death when hope died.
XXX
Two days later, Leonor marched past the entrance check-in desk of St. Mungo's. The healer in charge waved absentmindedly filling in forms with one of the shining white quills. Leonor almost flew through the corridors and pelted into Richard's office without giving a polite knock to announce herself. Richard jumped out of his seat and exclaimed, "Merlin's beard! Leonor! What the heck happened?"
"Severus Snape happened. I was a fool. I go to Brazil. Please give me the address and the other details. I'll go tomorrow."
The older healer considered Leonor with a worried frown and answered awkwardly, "Oh! Maria told me at the airport before take-off that there was something wrong. Now, should I better say right instead?"
"Say nothing. How are my chances to be accepted into the research team?"
"Not bad, most healers know you already. Of course, the executive positions are taken, but they would be stupid to dismiss another skilled team member." Richard fished a leaflet from a drawer and handed it to Leonor. She read the details briefly and nodded. It was all she needed to know to plan the arrival in Fortaleza. In return, she gave a letter to Richard.
"Good. My departure is tomorrow morning. I'll see Dumbledore now and afterwards I will inform my patients and everybody who needs to know. Please, make sure that one letter arrives at the French bird trader! He'll reply to you once my order is completed. I want him to send the bird to St. Mungo's. I'll also send my owls here while I'm away. Is that alright with you?" Leonor spoke still agitated and frantic. She was in a hurry.
"You know that is fine. The hospital is always short of well-trained owls and yours are brilliant. Don't you want to wait until I can organize a portkey? The ministry will do that favour for me."
"No, it is better I'm gone before anybody takes note of it," stated Leonor curtly. "Some hours of doing nothing and a decent jet-lag are just what I need at the moment. I'm used to muggle transport, no worries!"
Richard hugged Leonor suddenly. "Do you know what I like about you?" Leonor only shrugged in response. She didn't like herself at all at this moment.
"You are straightforward and you know what you want. Good luck! I'll inform Brian and let's see if wizarding mail is faster than muggle transport!" Richard kissed Leonor on the forehead and opened the door. "Don't forget to write a picture postcard! I want you to return with the others next year!" he called after her when Leonor rushed down the hallway and out of sight. Richard couldn't convince her to go to Brazil earlier and now he would not stop the young woman either.
XXX
The corridor of Grimmauld Place 12 welcomed Leonor again with the unmistakable greyness. Leonor didn't call this time, she only looked around. Her father and brothers and all their companions might have done evil things, but Leonor's home in Argentina issued a much friendlier impression despite all the crime. This house depressed the most cheerful disposition. She pitied Sirius for growing up in such a horripilating home.
Leonor went to the kitchen and greeted the presents with a rictus smile. Dumbledore wrote in some kind of notebook. Molly cooked and Sirius grumbled about being stuck inside. Sirius planned an evening walk disguised as a dog, and Molly constantly warned him to be cautious. Leonor interrupted the obvious day filling conversation, "I need a word with Albus!"
Dumbledore frowned. "A moment, please!" replied the old wizard with the white hair and beard. The robes of Dumbledore were as colourful and embroidered as always. He scribbled some more sentences and Leonor waited patiently until the headmaster finished.
"Should we go outside?" asked Dumbledore.
"Not necessary; it's not much what I have to say." Leonor spluttered impulsively, "I will leave for Brazil tomorrow. It's the only flight within a week. I can report from South America for sightings of any Death Eaters, but I doubt if there will be much to report."
Molly Weasley and Sirius Black looked flabbergasted. Dumbledore just nodded in agreement and unfazed by the news.
Leonor looked down at the table. "Sorry, if I'm not much of help in England. The decision hasn't been made lightly, but it's the only thing I want to do after another threat by Greyback." She lied to herself because she hadn't seen a hair of a werewolf. The real reason was another. She always made a run; it was like a pattern in Leonor's life.
"Will you return?" asked Dumbledore carefully. Leonor wondered a second why he didn't even try to persuade her to stay in England. The Order of Phoenix would be able to save the members if necessary. She just brushed the thought away being glad to safe another white lie.
Leonor answered truthfully, "I don't know."
"And why such a sudden disappearance?" asked Sirius with disdain.
"I join a research team. Richard offered a seat to me a while ago already. I decided late to take it, but now I go."
"You flee while we all stay and fight!" shouted Sirius.
"I'm not afraid of the war. My knowledge serves better to help with that awful disease. People die in Brazil too."
"Oh, very clever! Richard is our man! You are the first using his network to escape England."
"What?" It was Leonor's turn to be surprised.
Dumbledore gave Sirius Black a hard glance, and then he explained, "Richard Jennings is not a member of the order. But he helps to bring people out of the country. Brazil is the preferred destination this year. He's using the connections from the research team to find homes for the refugees. Apart from that, he organizes fake passports, cause-of-death statements if necessary."
"He never told me," said Leonor quietly.
"It's better that way." Dumbledore patted Leonor's hand before walking her to the door.
Leonor added a quiet warning about Snape's real alliance, but the headmaster answered with a stern expression only, "Most things are different from their appearance on the outside." He closed the door of Grimmauld Place 12 with a silent thud. The headmaster was still a mystery to Leonor.
XXX
It was almost dark outside. A few hours remained until Leonor left the country. The word 'home' circled in her head and compressed a sore heart. She loved living in London and even more in the Scottish mountains. It was not meant to be. Leonor concentrated on collecting plants and magical potion ingredients from Jackson's garden to bring something useful to the team. It filled the afternoon besides scribbling good-byes. Furthermore, it helped to forget Sirius' rage. The handsome Gryffindor had been right; she was a chicken.
Several charms and spells allowed Leonor to pack everything without thinking what was required and not. She waved her wand lightly. All personal items in the apothecary stacked neatly into a trunk and Leonor finished it with locking the lid. Magic was so helpful to escape the boring tasks. A knock downstairs made her look up and catapulted her out of self-pity. She run downstairs in a fit of anger forgetting all caution when opening the door.
"It's closed!" shouted Leonor into the twilight. The words hadn't died away when a hand shoved her back inside closing the door quickly.
"Ssh!" hissed an elegant woman.
"Narcissa Malfoy?" asked Leonor into the dim light.
The other woman whispered, "I'm sorry!"
"For what?"
"Please understand, my family never wanted to hurt you. Draco always hoped you'd return to teach. Severus was carried away by Lucius failure. He said Lucius' idle talk could kill us all. Lucius didn't mean it. He underestimated—" Narcissa looked nervous and stopped the sentence ashamed. "Lucius is sorry too. Will you still help in case we need a healer?" Narcissa spoke agitatedly and glanced around the quiet room.
Leonor stiffened on the mention of Severus; all her defences were up. She frowned and lied shrewdly, "I will. Go now, before anybody sees you here. We haven't spoken, you understand?"
Narcissa pressed Leonor's cold hands gratefully and left without another word.
Sirius had been right again about Severus' involvement in the werewolf attack. Leonor told herself that it didn't matter anymore. The Death Eaters knew nothing about Brazil. The Malfoy's would notice soon enough that she fled the country. In a few hours, an aeroplane took Leonor to the distant destination. New hope grew with every passing minute. Leonor wanted to be happy like every woman, but England wasn't the right place for it anymore. She was ready to continue on a new path.
— THE END —