To all those readers under house arrest because of Convid-19, sending across prayers, courage and warm wishes to keep your spirits high.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, but my thoughts of AU and OC, the rest all belong to J K Rowling.
Chapter 32
"Affinity is a strange thing; it can manifest itself in so many ways. Strangers meet and become friends. Newfound friends become confidants and…" Griphook was observing all the minute shifts in Severus Snape's countenance. People believed that this man was an enigma. A mystery beyond anyone's capacity to solve. And here he was unveiling the man's struggling emotions, dissecting his passion to hide behind that farce of a stern no-nonsense educationist, and making a sincere effort to cauterize his bleeding mind.
The goblin was also aware of how each and every present witch and wizard were receiving his words. They with their analytical acumen! Though a handful of the younger generation and those who never really made an effort to know the former potions master were still clueless and were regarding his presence pretentiously.
Griphook could tell the many of the older generations had started winding up the bundle of knotted threads he had intentionally delivered. He could hear the clogs of their mind working in unison. The Malfoys knew. The Weasley matriarch was aware. And the werewolf, the Defense Against Dark Arts teacher was prepared to tackle the formidable wizard if things went too far. He could also see how protective the Gryffindor deputy headmistress had become of her Slytherin colleague. If things needed time to simmer down, Kingsley Shacklebolt was the man with the nerves, to turn to.
Griphook managed to look down at his feet and closed his eyes to say a silent apology to the greater powers that made magic possible in the first place. Next, he heaved a sigh and that murmured under his breath, "For you, dear Estella, this will hurt some but together they will heal."
Shifting his weight from one foot to the other, he began again, "…and in some cases confidants transcend those boundaries of mutual care and affection and start nurturing the deepest of all connection- the affinity of pure love," sparing the paler headmaster another significant glance, he continued, "The muggle childless woman had become a frequenter, and within a few days, the dwarf would find the two women chatting quietly on the small couch inside the caravan truck sharing their thoughts over cups of tea. Jean for that was the muggle healer's name, had one day asked, 'did you think of a name?' Lilac had been in a brighter mood that day, the baby had been kicking for some time. Smiling back, she had stroked her swollen belly she had mused, "I wish to call her my Baby's Breath someday…"
Lupin was watching Severus throughout. He could see, the man had a strong grip on his wand, which he had been holding below the desk. His knuckles white as dead. The Goblin was a good storyteller, but even he could understand the man was talking in riddles and those were affecting the headmaster.
"She came earlier than expected, And thanks to Jean and her husband Edmund, Lilac had survived through a difficult childbirth," bringing up his both hands, the goblin had began studying them with interest, "she was small, smaller than any full-term baby, but she was a miracle, a beautiful miracle, and when she opened her eyes, they were brown," chuckling to himself," and she wailed like a banshee, and oh! She was powerful, she had held on to a finger of the dwarf and he could feel the magical vibes throbbing in her veins. She was a star, the brightest of all, Estella."
Turning away from the rapt audience of the room, he bowed his head in resignation, thinking, 'I should try to buy some time at least'.
Minerva heard the goblin gasp and could see the struggle in his eyes as he said, "But Lilac and Motley had to leave behind the baby and go back to the world, they had come from. The goblins saw to it that the childless couple Jean and Edmund Granger could successfully adopt Estella."
Minerva asked in a shaky voice, "Is Estella alive?"
Nodding his head in acknowledgment, Griphook that peered at her from over his shoulders, "Though her parents' tale is equally important, the tale of Lilac and Sage…you already know, we goblins consider, gold and money, we make Gringotts a bridge between the Muggle world and that of its Magical counterpart. But you all will agree, the true wealth lies in shrewd handling of Knowledge and Information. And what I am about to tell you all know, is that valuable knowledge which made sure the wizarding world remained more or less safe. Apart from the battle of Hogwarts, which was inevitable…"
Flitwick could sense Griphook was struggling to stay strong. Thus he offered, after glancing at both Snape and Mcgonagall, "Brothren, would you like to have some refreshments?"
"Oh! Yes, most definitely, if the headmaster is not opposed to it…" Griphook cheered up, but waited for Snape to say something about it.
If he could, Snape would grant every wish the half-goblin charms professor had every nurtured after the fall of the Dark Lord. He knew he could no longer escape from the upcoming storm, but he needed moments of reprieve and Flitwick had bought him just that. He knew Lupin was lurking behind him and somehow he knew that letter in the depths of his pocket was the only thing that could help him survive just a little bit more.
Clearly his throat he had called for Som, his elf. When everyone had a cup of tea to nurse within their palms, the goblin took a long sip and drew back everyone's attention to himself, "The love of Sage and Lilac."
Draco Malfoy had been bristling on his seat, he could feel his godfather's despair, he could feel his mother's anxiety and he was truly finding himself getting lost in this maze of words the goblin was so painstakingly erecting. But the words "love of Sage and Lilac" had triggered an old memory and he was not a man to miss this opening and tackle the shrewd man in his own game.
The only advice Lucius Malfoy ever gave his son while visiting Gringotts, was to be wary of goblins. "Business with goblins is like playing chess with a ghost. You can see the opponents' pieces, but the goblin will never show you his knobby twisted fingers. You will never quite understand those beady eyes, and their faces are so horridly twisted, you would fail to decipher their emotions. The only thing they can be tackled with are rules with their illusive traps, and the element of Surprise."
Draco knew all too well, the Goblin was rearing up to launch his own hidden weapon. He spared a look at Snape and decided, at least he could give it a try and defend the man like any worthy godson.
A/N: So how was the chapter? A yah or a nah? really I am writing a mystery plot, for the first time. And readers, I am praying for everyone around the world and would just say, "Precaution is best when there is no known cure."