Chapter Thirty-Six

The Foundation was still abuzz with talk of the attack in Diagon Alley several days later.

Not only talks of what had happened; the wounded and the dead. But also of the implications and what it meant for the future.

Concerns that had been plaguing Lily for the past few months were now shared by everyone.

Well, not quite everyone. There appeared to be a number of sceptics. Some who dismissed the whole incident as just a band of idiots setting to stir up trouble. After all, who could really believe that You-Know-Who was going to return, as some rumours suggested, or that some other had risen to take his place, as others suggested, and intended on finishing what he had started.

Even to those who feared it, the very idea was almost unthinkable.

Lily glanced over at Severus, who had been distracted and distant since she had seen him on the Monday. Not unreasonably so.

A group of protestors, people who had previously been adamant that Regulus Black ought to be in Azkaban for his role as Death Eater, had now decided to take a more public stance on the matter, following the events on Saturday. As such, the group were currently situated outside the fence of the building and all of them were determined that what they had to say would be heard.

Cries of "Regulus Black out!" and "We Want Justice!" rang in Lily's ears as she had made her way through the gates, her arm protectively around Harry's shoulders.

As a result of the disorder, productivity levels within the Foundation had dipped while security measures had heightened.

Lily spoke quietly when Severus was close enough to hear; "Sev?"

He looked up sharply from the parchment he was reading, meeting her eyes, and she caught a glimpse of the agitation and distraction in his.

She glanced around the others in the room, quickly, noting most of the small group were involved in conversations of their own. About Diagon Alley. Death Eaters. You-Know-Who.

"Are you alright?" Her voice was still quiet.

Severus' eyes seemed to soften at her concern, though his single nod was tight, almost forced; "Quite."

And then he whizzed on by, once again lost in a haze of agitation and distractedness, and Lily noticed that the patience he appeared to have with her was not something he granted so willingly to the others in the room when they had enquiries of their own.

He snapped at two of them, ignored several others and wouldn't engage in any attempts at conversation. Even when she spoke to him, he responded with single word answers before carrying on with whatever it was he was doing, and it wasn't until she'd casually mentioned that Sirius had been there in Diagon Alley that Severus suddenly snapped to attention.

"Black was there?"

"Oh. Um, yes."

She was surprised to find his focus so completely on her for the first time that week.

"Did he see what happened?"

"A little. There was the explosion. And he saw the Death Eaters cast the Dark Mark."

"Did he recognise any voices? Perhaps from…" He hesitated, glancing around the room. No one was paying them any attention, all of them involved in work or conversations of their own. He cast the incantation anyway; "Muffliato. Perhaps from his own attack?"

Lily gave a slight shake of her head; "No. I don't think so. But it all happened so fast. And he was trying to look over Harry's –"

"Your son was there?"

Lily nodded.

"Was he hurt?"

"A little. Cuts and bruises but he's fine now."

He held her look for a moment, seeming to think on what she had said, before he nodded and glanced away. Seeming to close in on himself once again.

"How is Regulus Black?" He met her eyes. When he said nothing she added; "I haven't seen him at the Foundation this week. And, with what's going on…" They both looked in the direction of the window. Though the protestors couldn't really be seen.

"He's aware of what's happening," Severus eventually said, still turned away from her. How could he not? It had been in the Prophet since the protests had started three days ago. Severus indicated at the parchment she had been working on. She nodded and he lifted it, glancing over it; "I suggested it best that he work from home for the time-being."

"Harry mentioned Malachi hasn't been at the Centre this week."

Severus nodded, slowly; "It's better that he doesn't hear about it." He handed the parchment back to her; "Try Dittany."

Lily nodded, with only a quick glance at the parchment; "If you need anything…"

He only looked at her and then the distant manner with which he had been carrying himself seemed to finally leave him. The side of his lips tugged in a slight smile; "I know."

She smiled in return, though it was almost shy, ducking her head slightly under his gaze, and then she almost rolled her eyes at herself. It was odd, infuriating, that she had started out trying to recognise any unusual behaviour on Severus' side and had suddenly found it was her own that was questionable.

All Julia's fault, she reminded herself with some irritation.

She was certain Severus had noticed it. While they'd so far seen one another far less since all the revelations in February, and there had been plenty of incidents to keep them busy in the meantime, the times that they had seen one another, she'd found herself almost nervous when she was around him.

At first, she'd told herself that it was nervousness that perhaps Julia was right; maybe Severus was interested. Now, though, she was quite sure he wasn't. Severus behaviour was no different from how it had always been; he appeared to care for her, yes. But no more so than he seemed to care for Regulus, who was also a friend of his.

Therefore, his attention and kindness to her, while it may be seen as being more so than he showed to his other work fellows, was no more than his usual behaviour when it came to friendship.

So her nervousness was obviously down to something else.

"Lily."

She met his eyes.

"Is…did Black feel that he was targeted directly in any way during the attack?"

She paused, considering the question; "No. He didn't say anything that would suggest that."

There was a silence and she was left wondering at the implication; "You think he might have been?"

He looked at her, then his eyes softened reassuringly; "No. I was just considering the possibility." At her questioning look he added; "The likelihood that Pettigrew was involved."

Of course she had thought about that; obviously Peter would have been involved in some way. She had little doubt that it was the same group in Diagon Alley that had attacked Sirius previously. Although Sirius had said nothing that suggested he thought he and Harry were being directly sought out that day.

Instantly the focus of her nervousness switched; "He – Sirius, that is – he's still not recovered. There hasn't been any noticeable change for the past few weeks." He's still in that damned chair. "If they had come after him…and Harry was with him –"

"Lily."

Severus hand was suddenly on her forearm where it rested on the counter.

She met his eyes, having been lost in a panicked haze of her own at the thought of Death Eaters after Sirius. Hurting her son. The same son who Peter had been willing to sacrifice once before.

"Don't upset yourself with such thoughts. They're both fine."

She released a breath she didn't know she was holding, giving him a slight smile and a shrug; "You know me. I'm a worrier."

He smiled then and the hand on her arm squeezed gently, and she felt her stomach flutter a little at the pressure. Puzzlingly so. It wasn't a sensation she had felt in a long, long time.

Butterflies.

Lily's eyes lingered on his, though she guessed the puzzlement she was feeling was evident in her expression, because Severus' look turned questioning. But before either of them could say anything further, a voice sounded next to them, startling them both from one another's gaze.

"Excuse me."

Heart was standing there and Lily noticed her glance curiously at Severus' hand, where it was holding her arm. Severus hastily snatched his hand back, straightening up as he did so, looking both irritated and uncomfortable. He turned away from them both, straightening up some books that lay on the countertop, her books, and she heard him quietly utter the 'muffliato' counter spell under his breath.

"We'd better start heading to St Mungo's." Heart went on, a slight smile on her lips as she glanced from Lily, to Severus, and back again; "When you're ready."

Lily nodded, casting a quick glance Severus' way; "I'm ready." She reached for her cloak; "I'll see you…"

Severus only nodded, not looking at her, and she felt oddly off-balance as she made her way from the room.

The days at the Learning Centre were long and dull without Malachi there to keep him company.

Harry wished that Ron was there too. He hadn't seen him in a long time. Sirius used to take him to see the Weasleys all the time, before he'd gotten hurt. And before that, when he'd been missing, neither his mum or Uncle Remus had time for visiting people.

He glanced around the other children that were scattered around the courtyard, most of them playing or talking with one another.

He hadn't really made any other friends yet; he and Malachi were quite happy just playing together and talking about Uncle Sirius and their dads and his mum. And, sometimes, Professor Snape, if Malachi had any new information that he thought was interesting.

Harry hadn't seen him and his mum together since his Uncle Sirius had been in St Mungo's; maybe they weren't even friends anymore?

"Give it back!"

Harry looked sharply at the indignant tone.

A small group of three children, Goyle one of them, were squared off against another boy. Harry thought his name was Corner.

Harry didn't like Goyle, ever since he'd told him that real Wizards didn't go to muggle school during one of his first days there. He knew it wasn't true; his mum had gone to muggle school when she was little. So had his Uncle Remus. So Harry knew he was lying and was just being mean and what he really meant was that he thought Harry wasn't a real wizard.

He wasn't sure why though. He hadn't done anything to Goyle before. He hadn't even met him.

Harry was startled from his thoughts when the smaller boy, Corner, hit the ground. It took a second for Harry to realise one of the others had actually hit him.

A small crowd began to form and Harry rose from where he was sitting on the cobbles to hurry over.

"Finders keepers." It was one of the other boys, Zabini, who spoke.

Corner scrambled to his feet, looking flushed with humiliation; "It's not mine, it's my dad's! Give it back!"

Harry noticed the pocket watch clutched in Goyle's hand.

"Trade," Zabini launched the ball he was holding into Corner's stomach, making the other boy double over with a winded gasp as he caught it.

"I don't want your stupid ball." He threw it back. It hit Goyle in the face and Harry found himself grinning while some of the other children chuckled. Including Corner, who was pleased at the giggling approval of his peers.

Goyle threw the pocket watch to the ground with a small smash, instantly wiping the smile from Corner's face, and stepped towards him.

"Stay away from him!" Harry shouted, before he had a chance to think what he was doing. Thinking only how angry and upset he'd be if someone had smashed something of his Uncle's Sirius' when he'd trusted him with it.

Goyle's eyes turned to Harry instantly; in fact, all of the eyes in the vicinity turned towards him. Most of them hadn't even really heard him speak before.

"What are you gonna do about it, Potter?"

Harry felt suddenly panicked; he'd never been in a fight before. He didn't think he'd be any good. But he forced himself to put up a brave front; that's what Gryffindor's were supposed to be famous for, wasn't it? Well, he wanted to be a Gryffindor just like his Uncle Sirius and his mum.

"You can't just take other people's stuff. And you can't just hit people either!"

"Who taught you that, your mudblood mother?"

Harry, who had been preparing to fight back with words hesitated, frowning at the other boy; "My…what?"

The third boy, the other who had been with Goyle and Zabini just a moment ago, looked uncertain as well; "Uh, Goyle. You can't call them that."

Harry vaguely noted that others in the circle seemed split; some with the same confusion and bemusement he felt, others looking shocked and offended and, some, seeming to raise eyebrows or nod with approval at what had been said.

Mudblood, did he say? Harry had never heard that before.

"We can call them whatever we want. Filth, that's what my dad says they are."

Filth! Were they talking about his mum?

Harry felt rage build up within him.

"Filthy mudbloods, all of them."

Suddenly, the ball Goyle was holding exploded with a loud 'pop', startling everyone there into silence.

The silence continued for a few moments, while everyone seemed confused and tried to make sense of what had happened. Harry's rage had given way to shock, as he stared at the rubbery remains in Goyle's hands.

Goyle also looked shakenly down at his hands for a second, before he raised his eyes to Harry. The fury Harry had been feeling moments before was suddenly reflected in the other boy's eyes; "The little Half-Blood just –"

"What is going on out here?" A loud, authoritarian voice sounded from just outside the circle that had formed and children sprung apart as Mrs Gillan appeared, looking stern and more than a little displeased.

"What happened?"

Suddenly lots of children's voices spoke up all at once, and Harry just made out a few of them as he and Goyle continued to glare at one another.

"Goyle hit Corner!"

"He said mudblood!"

"Potter used magic!"

"Enough!" Mrs Gillan looked between Harry and Goyle, then at the other children; "Everyone back inside. Now."

The crowd dispersed, the children beginning to make their way back into the Centre. Harry made to follow but before he'd taken a few steps, her voice spoke again; "Except you, Mr Potter. Mr Goyle and Mr Corner, both of you wait here, too."

Harry stared at her, nervously for a minute, before he reluctantly made his way back towards her.

Regulus Black sat behind his desk, the parchments he had scattered out in front of him lying forgotten on the surface, as he listened to the sound of the chants and bellows coming from just outside the building. He couldn't make out anything of what was being said, it was more a distant rumbling, but he didn't have to hear it. He knew what they were saying.

He had walked through the crowd of protestors, who had become more animated, furiously so, upon his apparition just outside the gates of the Foundation. They had heckled him as he made his way through but, as yet, none of them had resorted to any sort of violence.

He supposed it was only a matter of time and was reflecting on that, disinterestedly, when the door to his office burst open without any customary knock.

"Regulus. I thought we agreed you would work from home this week."

Severus expression was stony as he regarded him, his words coming out as a statement, rather than a question.

Regulus met his eyes defiantly and shook his head; "I can't hide from them forever."

"Where is Malachi?"

"He's with Cissy."

"At least you had sense enough to shelter him from this nonsense." He waved a dismissive hand as he walked towards the window.

"It's hardly nonsense, Sev."

Severus stopped in his tracks and spun to face him, looking enraged; "Don't start with this again, Regulus! I won't have you going about thinking you owe these people anything."

Regulus glared back at him; "They probably lost people in the war. To Death Eaters."

"It was war!"

Regulus stared back at him.

Severus deflated somewhat and Regulus thought he caught a glimpse of Severus' own remorse over everything that had happened back then reflected in his eyes, before they hardened once again; "Besides, you've already given all you can give to them."

Regulus shook his head; "I know if it was you in my position you wouldn't be hiding away in your dungeons. You'd face them. You can't expect me to do any different."

"The only reason it is not me in your position, Regulus," Severus' tone was low and steady; "Is pure luck."

Regulus shrugged, pushing a piece of parchment around on the desk with the tip of his wand; "This is nothing more than what I deserve."

"Here was me thinking you'd finally grown up this past year."

Regulus looked up at him, furiously; "How is my being remorseful childish in any way?"

"Let it go, Regulus!" Severus snapped; "You can't sit here wallowing in self-pity. People look to you for leadership; this entire faculty is behind you. How are they supposed to believe you are anything other than guilty if you don't rise up and set the right example?"

"I am guilty!"

If anything, Severus' furious expression hardened further so that he was almost scowling.

Regulus glanced down; "And what example?"

"The whole point of setting up this Foundation in the first place; to help people move on with their lives."

Regulus met Severus' eyes.

"Isn't that what it was? To teach people to put their past losses behind them, their mistakes; to look to the future?"

"For them, Severus. The victims. Not me."

"Stop it." Severus practically spat the words; "Don't not reduce yourself to this because of them. You have faced more dangerous circumstances than these people could possibly imagine. Will have to do so again, very soon, if these circumstances are to be interpreted fully."

Regulus shook his head, looking away from him. As if that made him feel any better!

"If you allow yourself to appear weak, then the Death Eaters, the Dark Lord, the real enemy will see straight through you."

Regulus drew in a breath, meeting Severus' eyes again but, before either could say anything further, there was a brusque knock on the door before it burst open and Lucius strode into the room.

"Ah, Severus. I'm glad you're here also." The blonde offered in greeting.

"What are you doing here?" Severus' previous fury with Regulus was suddenly redirected at the intruder; "Did you not think how this would look to those outside the gates?"

Lucius eyed him; "Do you think we should cower away like cowards, Severus?"

Severus pursed his lips together, eyes flashing with barely supressed rage.

Lucius, not one to be outmanoeuvred, turned more fully towards him; "Perhaps, while you are giving advice about appearances, I shall offer some insight of my own?"

Severus met his look, unblinkingly.

"How is Mrs Potter, these days?"

Regulus noticed it took a great deal of effort on Severus' part not to flinch.

"Did you happen to consider how that would look, perhaps to someone far more important than a bunch of babbling buffoons outside the Foundation gates?"

Severus gathered himself quickly, eyes narrowing; "What would you know of it."

"My wife has associations with the Foundation, Severus," Lucius responded, evenly, before adding in a clipped tone; "People talk."

Severus looked to be positively raging at Lucius' words, more so than Regulus had ever seen before, and he sighed, making to intervene before things began to escalate even further out of control.

"Did you have news, Lucius?"

Lucius appeared reluctant to break eye contact with Severus, not wanting to be the first to look away, but he guessed he knew Severus was not going to back down in that regard, so he turned to face Regulus.

"Yes." He walked further into the room, eyes on Regulus this time; "With the recent attack on Diagon Alley and the more covert attack on your brother that you mentioned, I was able to track down an associate who was…well, I suppose willingly would not be quite the correct term, but he did offer up some information."

"What information is that?" Severus spoke up behind him, his tone still tense from the earlier confrontation.

"Only that we should be very careful of our behaviour for the foreseeable future," with a pointed glance in Severus direction, he added; "And how it may be perceived."

Regulus felt his stomach drop, although the news was hardly unexpected; "Then…The Dark Lord's return is truly imminent?"

"He would neither confirm nor deny the possibility. I believe there may be some trouble; I do not know the particulars. It is not a hopeless case, though it is best we prepare ourselves for all scenarios. Prepare your stories. Your excuses."

Regulus could only stare at the desk, as the gravity of their situation truly hit him. He drew in a breath, forcing himself to meet Lucius' eyes and nodded at him; "Thanks, Lucius."

Lucius gave him a slight nod in return, his expression revealing sympathy for a moment, before he turned to make his way from the room. He raised an eyebrow at Severus on his way passed him but Severus only returned his look evenly. Resentment was very evident in his expression as he did so.

"I say it only for your own good, Severus."

And, without a goodbye, Lucius was gone.

Leaving the two men reeling in his wake.