Chapter Six: Wild and Deep

"Daniel? Daniel, sweetie, wake up."

Unfamiliar…the voice wasn't one he knew…he didn't want to wake up here…he wanted to wake up at home…with…with…with…

"Come on, my angel, wake up…Mommy's made your favorite breakfast."

Sapphire flicked open, but then the young man in the bed groaned and rolled over, clutching his stomach. The woman right by his bedside only just managed to get a bowl under him before he threw up. His head hurt and his muscles hurt and it felt like he'd just run all day and all night…his entire form quivered and he threw up again.

It seemed like forever, but he finally managed to rasp out, "Hospital." His voice was pleading, all but begging for help.

The woman…Helen, he suddenly remembered, shook her head. "Don't be silly, Daniel; I can take care of you here. Mommy will help you get better." She stroked his head and he futilely struggled to duck away, despite how awful he felt. He didn't like that…right?

His head throbbed anew and he groaned as he clutched it, reflexively reaching for his magic in an effort to make it stop hurting. At first, his magic stuttered, fluttering and drained, but by what? He didn't think he'd been using it all that much…had he? The teen panted, sinking deeper into the bed, sheer misery flooding him…he didn't know where he was, didn't know who the woman was, but he did know he wasn't where he should be. And where he should be, inside he knew it was a safe place, a place where his magic wasn't limp and weak, where he wasn't weak and throbbing…and he wanted to go home…wherever that was.

After a few minutes, he tried to reach for his magic again; it surged higher, but fell away, still too drained to use; that drained feeling dragged at his whole being and the woman had to support him again as his body rebelled. Funny…it was almost as if his magic was being suppressed, but why would Helen do that? That was wrong, that was bad; to lock away his magic wasn't possible…it was too much a part of him, as essential as blood and oxygen.

Inside, his magic finally broke free from its restraints and memory flooded back; he almost snarled as he realized what she'd been trying to do. Fortunately, his expression was mistaken for renewed pain as Helen cooed over him again. "Hospital," he repeated…if he could just get away from her long enough to get real help.

Helen laughed, but it was a high, brittle sounding laugh. "It's just a little cold, Daniel," she countered. "You'll feel better soon, baby."

No, he wouldn't…he still couldn't remember exactly what happened before he'd woken up on the bed here, but he didn't think a few days in bed were going to be enough. But the pain of the past few…days?...hours?...had faded enough that he could more accurately pinpoint why his magic felt so weak. He remembered Helen's sister…Maria?...talking about Suppression Potions, so that was one factor; no wonder his magic felt drained and shackled. The spells Helen had been using on him were another factor…sleep and memory spells. His magic was being forced to fight off potions, spells, and who knew what else Helen was trying to use on him, which drained his reserves and his strength, but the core factor behind his weakness was his current physical condition. Nor could he get better as long as his magic was being forced to handle Helen's magical assault as well as whatever had put him in this state.

It only took a minute or two to decide on his best course of action…as much as his decision made him cringe and wince internally. "P-please, Mum," he pleaded, unable to actually use 'Mom'…she was not his mother. "Please, I feel really bad," he begged.

One hand rubbed over his forehead, checking for fever. "There, there, Daniel," Helen whispered. "Mummy will make it all better, I promise." She hugged him fiercely; he was grateful he was too weak to be expected to hug back. Abruptly she drew back and turned his head to face her. "But you must promise Mummy that you will never go off like that again."

"Off like what?" he asked, struggling to keep his expression open and guileless.

She drew him in again, her hug turning so tight that he coughed, struggling to breathe. His expression twisted and she read it perfectly, getting him over the bowl again before he heaved. After a minute, during which he was pathetically grateful that she was still sane enough to clean up the mess, she spoke again. "Daniel, Daniel, Daniel, don't tell me you've forgotten the day you got your Apparition license."

He froze, shock racing through him…this Daniel had been old enough to Apparate? He was getting a really bad feeling about where this was going. And something about the word 'license' was jangling at his still absent memory of how he'd ended up here.


She stroked Daniel's hair again, trying not to cry. Her brave, beautiful Daniel…so excited and proud to finally have his Apparition license. She and Alan had teased him for being so enthusiastic on his birthday…why, her normally late-sleeping son had woken up at the crack of dawn that day…that awful, horrible day.

Her son licked his lips; he looked so limp and pathetic, but he'd be better soon. "Could you tell me about it, Mum?"

'Mum'…she'd been so disappointed when he'd stopped calling her that. I'm growing up in Canada, Mom…no one here uses Mum. Helen was delighted that he'd changed his mind and smiled at her son, trying to be brave. "Well, you passed, of course," she began. "And on your birthday, too…we were so proud of you, Daniel."


"Mom, can I go out? Please?"

She laughed, her laugh tinkling in the corridor. "Going to show all your friends what you can do now, son?"

His return smile was full of life, full of enthusiasm. "Yeah, then I'm going to stop an Carisa's house; I want to ask her to go with me to the musical on Sunday."

Helen shook her head; her son was over his heels in love and he didn't even seem to realize it. Alan draped his arm over her shoulders and chuckled. "Have fun, son, but don't stay out too late."

"I won't, Dad, I promise!" Daniel's grin was bright enough to make his entire countenance glow. Green eyes sparkled with love and life.


"What happened?" Uncertainty shone in Daniel's now blue eyes. When a few tears fell, his expression twisted, ever so slightly. "Why are you so sad?"

She pulled him close again, needing to feel him under her arms, feel his breath against her cheek. Alive, alive, alive, his heartbeat seemed to tell her.


Her husband's cry drew her to the door at once, where a somber Auror waited, his gaze sympathetic. "What's happened?" she demanded sharply, fear rising. Daniel was late…he was never late.

"Mrs. Smith, I'm Auror Simmons," the Auror with very light blond hair introduced himself; automatically, she extended her hand, absently pleased when he lightly grasped her hand and bestowed a brief kiss on the knuckles. So many young people these days had no idea of proper manners.

That fell away though, as she demanded again, "What's happened?" Alan looked as if someone had hit him with a Cruciatus and that could not be allowed.

Auror Simmons drew in a deep breath. "Ma'am, your son was visiting the Englewood family?"

Dread rose. "Yes, that's correct…my son is dating their daughter."

The Auror couldn't meet her eyes. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but the entire Englewood family, along with your son, was murdered this evening."


She'd insisted on going to see his body; Alan hadn't been strong enough to come with her. She'd identified him, stroked his hair, closed the staring green orbs, and wept as she realized he'd been murdered by Muggles. It was only later that she discovered the young Muggleborn her son was dating had been from what the Muggles called a 'rough neighborhood'. The Muggles responsible hadn't even been looking for the Englewoods…they'd been 'high', whatever that meant, and gone to the wrong home.

Her son, her only son, scion of a proud, pureblood family, cut down by a group of Muggle scum…who weren't even fit to crawl on the same ground as her son. Daniel listened as she poured her emotions out, weeping openly, hugging him over and over again. Periodically, she had to stop to hold the bowl for him, keeping his hair out of the mess and Vanishing it once he was done.

When she stopped, he thought, as hard as he could at the moment. "What happened afterwards?" he asked, voice tentative.


Rain fell at the funeral…a fitting compliment to her broken heart. Alan stood stiffly…he hadn't cried, not even once. She resented him for that, resented him for letting their son go to that girl's house to die. After everything he'd done, couldn't he have the decency to mourn his own son?

But even after the service, when the two were left alone at the fresh grave…the fresh tombstone, still…Alan did not cry. And her resentment began to twist…


"Get out!" she screamed at Alan, her voice rising in a screech. He was drunk, again, and she was sick of it. "Get out and don't come back until you've sobered up!"

She hated him so much for taking her son away from her. As the door slammed behind him, she collapsed on her bed and wept, grieving loudly for her Daniel, her beautiful sweet Daniel. When Alan didn't come home, she considered it a fair trade…he'd finally figured out it was best to leave her alone to mourn her beloved son, finally figured out that he shouldn't drag his drunken carcass into their bedroom, expecting her sympathy.


The knock on the door drew her out of her memories, as she flipped through his album, remembering his smile, his eyes, his everything. When she opened the door, Auror Simmons stood there, his expression just as grave as it had been that night.

"Yes, what is it?"

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Smith, but there's been an accident."

"An accident?"

A sober nod. "I'm very sorry, Mrs. Smith, but it appears that your husband accidently Apparated right in front of a Muggle vehicle on his way home."

She clutched the doorway, but her heart hardened, her eyes narrowed, and one thought ran through her head, How dare he? How dare he abandon me now? In her fury and anger, grief would not come and she soon decided he had done it on purpose.


Rain did not fall the day of Alan's funeral and she alone of the mourners was dry-eyed. She watched the casket lower itself into the grave and felt…nothing. He was nothing to her now…simply the reason her beloved son was gone. He had left her, abandoned her, and so, he was less than the Muggle filth that had killed him, less than the Muggle scum who had murdered her Daniel.

When the ceremony was over and she was alone at the grave, she looked at the marker one last time, then turned her back and went home to her albums and her memories of Daniel. Over the next few days, she removed Alan from every picture she owned…except one. The last one they had taken as a family, their son's arms wrapped around them as he laughed and tried to hold up his brand-new Apparition license.


As she finished her tale, she smiled with pleasure to see that her son's breathing was no longer quite as harsh. She let her wand dance in a brief diagnostic, sighing softly as she took in the fact that her son would be sick for a bit longer. She'd been so sure he would be better by now…how could he not, with her taking such good care of him?

"Please," he begged, those blue eyes wide and pleading. "Hospital."

Helen shook her head. "No, Daniel." She tucked him back under the covers. "Rest up; you'll feel better soon."

It was almost an afterthought, but she flicked her wand to check on her other spells…the ones that would keep her son safe from those awful, awful Muggles who'd put him in danger. Alarm spread across her features at the results.

"No," she breathed…the memory charm had broken.

"Stop," her son cried as she lifted her wand. "Please…I just want to go home…"

"You are home, Daniel, you are home," Helen replied. "Now, stop fighting Mummy's magic, Daniel…it will all better soon."

Sapphire flashed with his father's defiance staring at her. "I'm not Daniel," he spat, no longer hiding as he had been…foolish child, to think he could hide anything from her. "My name is Lance. I'm sorry about your son, but I'm not him! I have a family…"

She saw red. "No, Daniel," she snapped. "You have me!" She smiled as sweetly as she could. "Now, relax, Daniel, and it will all be over soon."

Gold flared around him, weak, but there. Her own magic crashed against it; Helen gritted her teeth as the gold fought her. What kind of magic was this? It seemed to have a mind and life of its own. "Let me go," her son begged.

"Never again," she promised, "I'll protect you, Daniel." Her magic glowed brighter; she heard a faint screech as the gold collapsed and her spell took hold. As her son sank down on the pillows, she smiled again and tucked him in once more. "I'll protect you, Daniel…always."


In the dead of night, a whisper flowed through the small house that Helen Smith had lived in since her husband and son's deaths three years earlier. A whimper rose from the captive on the bed, his magic just as bound and shackled as he was. Wild Magic…caged and unable to sing…but still able to cry out for aid.

And in that cry, so faint that none could hear it, was one last attempt to reach for freedom, for family. But a cry need not be heard by human ears to be answered, a plea for help need not be spoken aloud to be acknowledged. The Deep Magic swirled, hearing the unhearable, sensing the unspoken. And its Master, the Emperor-beyond-the-Sea, was not content to leave things as they were. One of His had called for aid and He would answer.

In the small house, a Lion appeared, standing over the youth on the bed. One paw gently reached out and pulled the blanket up. "Peace, Son of Adam," He rumbled, unheard by any but the boy. "Wait on Me and I will answer." The whimpers from the young man faded and he turned towards the Lion. The Lion settled down next to the bed, keeping watch until dawn.


Author note: I have, as you may have noticed, posted this on Thursday night instead of Friday morning. The reason, I'm afraid, is quite simple. I also post these stories on Archive of our Own and Ao3 has a scheduled maintenance for Friday morning, right when I'd be posting this chapter. In lieu of making you all wait until Friday evening, I'm posting a few hours early. I thank Ao3 for graciously letting me know in advance that their site will be down (I'm lookin' at you, Fanfiction dot net!). So, unless there's another maintenance next week, we will return to our regularly scheduled Friday (and Tuesday!) postings next week.