Door blinked at Richard.
Richard shrugged, still holding the spear, though less awkwardly.
"And then Death said to the brothers..." floated through the door, accompanied by a gurgle. Remus was occupied with Harry, and Richard couldn't be too worried about the gentle man overhearing - he had promised to never betray them or their secrets.
"Well, Richard, just so you know, if you ever get the urge to go out and Hunt, the rats are saying that some were-wolf called Greyback is looking for Harry, and since he's gone through all of London Between, he's going to look through Below. So your urge to Hunt is probably just Greyback threatening your territory, in which case I fully support you bringing me his carcass. But meanwhile, just get better at spearing your enemies. Prey. Whatever you call them. I'm getting Apolline to start coming over to babysit, or teach us how to do baby-things. Apparently, she wants to take a look at the runes I used to return Ingress's memory..."
"Um, what's so special about them?"
"Well... pockets of time are frozen throughout London. I'm using the runes that the Celtic Druids used before the Romans came. Speaking of time and babies, I'll need more posies, and -"
"I'm sorry. Posies?"
"Ring around the Rosie, a Pocket-full of Posies, Ashes Ashes, we all fall down? It's about the Black Plague - a rose-red spot with a ring around it is the symptom, and while Posies help with minor illnesses, they won't stop the plague. Ashes of the cremated bodies will make us fall down dead. So yes, I'm getting Posies for Harry - they'll help with coughs."
"..."
Remus frowned, bouncing Harry a bit. If he had caught the exchange correctly, Richard was going to go after Greyback, kill him, and bring back Greyback's skin for Door. He wasn't fully against it - first of, Greyback wanted Harry. No. Second of all, Greyback fought on His side during the War. Once again, no. And third of all... Grey back turned him into a were. It was Greyback's fault that he was what he was. So he really was quiet all right with the impending death of the killer.
What he wasn't all right with was the 'pockets of time in London Below'. Admittedly, he hadn't been in London Below often, just some of the sewers, a few Floating Markets. The Tower of London, to talk to some of the ghosts.
There were pockets of time.
Time was dangerous - Remus knew this very well. Most of the time that got saved, remembered, was the time that was dangerous. Humans remembered separate moments of danger and fear and despair and hate far better than separate moments of love and happiness. So the moments of time were probably the most dangerous ones - The Roman Army coming. The Black Plague. The Viking Attack. William the Conquerer.
England had a very bloody history - he almost couldn't believe that a "gentleman" was no the "classical Englishman", not when most of England's history was that of death. And stubbornness. Death the stubbornness.
Rather like Harry - so much death (his parents) and war (The War, the one he ended) was centered around this little boy, and he was so stubborn, with the way he bit his lip and scrunched his eyebrows and tried again with whatever he wanted to do.
Nothing was allowed to hurt Harry.
Apolline came over the next day, appearing in the center of the room, holding a little three-year-old girl.
She was imposing - tall, blonde, with a straight back and a Presence that made Richard want to snarl. Door was in charge here! Who was this - this ninny? She wasn't Alpha.
And before he knew it, he was standing, his spear pointing toward the Lady. Oh. So this is why Door asked Remus and Harry to be in the garden (Forest [Door has her own FOREST?]) when Apolline first appeared.
The woman raised an imperious eyebrow. Richard raised his own.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?"
"I am Apolline, I come by Door's invitation."
"Lady Door's invitation. And, I'm sure you wouldn't mine if I ask for proof." Richard needed her to submit. His voice was frigid, and he needed to admit at least one mistake. Now. This huge Bird - Red Kite, Honey Buzzard, this hunter-animal - needed to admit him to be in charge.
Or he would quench its Fire. It was that simple.
The woman hesitated, and he bared his teeth.
She swallowed, arms around the sleeping three-year-old, bending her head forward - baring the neck - and pulling out the invitation.
"Lady Door, then. I apologize."
Richard relaxed immediately, throwing himself onto an armchair. Door got up from the couch, stretching - you couldn't think she was Alpha just by looking at her.
"Well, Mrs. Apolline Delacour, I suppose the baby is Fleur? And the deal is as such: You will help Harry with his fae-ness when he is old enough, but for now you just babysit. In return, we'll show Fleur a bit of London Below so that she isn't just a delicate flower. Agreed?"
"I agree."
And that was how Apoline came over from 8:00 to 12:00 in the morning, to babysit Fleur and Harry (with Fleur learning Fae and Harry watching), while Remus and Richard trained and went to the Floating Market to get news. From 1:00 to 4:00, Fleur and Harry would visit various places -
Look. Here is the Roman Camp.
Here is the remains of a village from the Black Plague.
This is where the Vikings first sacked a town.
Here is how you hold a knife, and here is how you throw one. By the time you're five, I expect you both to be able to do this.
