Hello, hello!
Haven't got much to say, except,
Onwards! Chapter 31.
***
Minerva watched Nikos enter her office a day later- Weasley had been discharged from the infirmary as well. The Greek Healer was doing justice to the reputation Healers from his homeland had. She herself felt better than ever, and not just recovered from a massive ancient curse. The man looked worn out as he walked in, though he was well groomed.
"Please, sit down, Nikos," she said as pleasantly as she could make it. It wasn't much. "Can I get you some tea?"
"Well, I wouldn't want to offend you," nodded Nikos politely as he sat down on the other side of her office. "Are you feeling well?"
"Quite," Minerva straightened up and cleared her throat. "Mr. Galanos, I have been talking to Ms. Gerakas, from your school."
Nikos frowned.
"I did message her with the happenings here. Is something wrong in Athens?"
"No," Minerva said. "But I wanted to be in accordance with your school before making you a different offer than the one we had agreed on."
The tea popped in front of them and Minerva gestured for Nikos to sip it. He arched an eyebrow.
"Is this laced with whiskey?"
"You look like you can use it," Minerva said primly. "Now- as I understand it, besides the intention of Isis to find whatever Osiris needed to sustain his life, they are here because one of the five Keys is hidden somewhere in Scotland."
Nikos just nodded, sipping the tea. Minerva folded her hands on the table, watching the man.
"From what Mr. Potter told me, and some of… the advice I have access to," Albus' and Severus' portraits appeared especially smug on either side of her, "you are the only living wizard able to ward off against prime wizards. Is that a fact?"
"I'm afraid so," Nikos said. "After my sister, I'm the only one- but that can be easily learned, if one takes the time to learn it."
Minerva smiled.
"Wonderful, Mr. Galanos," she leaned back in her chair. "I would like you to do just that- teach here, take the late Professor Bai's position."
"Me?" Nikos blinked. "Is that why you asked Athens? You want to hire me to fill in?"
"That is really a bad way to put it," the Headmistress countered. "I wouldn't ask just anyone to fill in- not with those two dark wizards prowling around. I want you to teach the students of this school, and make sure that you are not the only one who can defend against them. Because you know it as well as I, that they will return."
"They will go where the Key is," Nikos frowned. "And then they will follow the trace of the other three."
"The Key is hidden in this castle."
Minerva smiled as the voice from a portrait that was usually silent came, quite high up in the wall of Headmasters' portraits. The grey-haired figure of Salazar Slytherin himself leaned forward on his frame with a self-absorbed grin.
"And you cannot convince me that this young whippersnapper you brought in my school didn't force old Godric's Hat to sort him in my house, exactly because you want a better chance of maybe looking for it in Slytherin House."
Nikos couldn't help grinning.
"Well, I guess you caught us." He turned his eyes to the Headmistress. "If I teach Defense Against the Dark Arts here, my lessons may be a little different to what Severus would say was the norm here. Would that be a problem?"
"Prime wizards are different from the norm," Minerva said with a smile. "If you release the students in one piece at the end of your teaching period, you are free to teach what they need to learn any way you see fit."
"Thank you," Nikos smiled, but his eyes twinkled with an unsettling fire. "In that case, Headmistress, I am honoured you find me a suitable replacement for Guiren Bai this year."
Minerva grinned as she watched Nikos take his leave, until Severus said:
"You do realize you just gave him carte blanche to do anything as long as he doesn't mutilate those kids to death, do you, Minerva?"
***
Finn frowned as he watched Rasmus write furiously amid piles of books with obscure titles. His friend didn't look at all ok, and although usually studying stuff everyone else found boring relaxed and amused him, he only seemed to be getting himself strung up more and more with it. Finn exhaled, gathering up as much courage as he could muster and got out his wand.
Rasmus blinked as his papers and books suddenly disappeared from in front of him, and he glared.
"Hey! Bring it back, Finn. I'm not in the mood."
"Yeah, but you will be. C'mon," Finn said as he got up, grabbing Rasmus from his sweater and forcing him to be dragged off his chair. Rasmus swatted his hand away.
"Finn, either pop those book back on the table, or do it in three days when you return from the infirmary."
Finn frowned.
"No. No, man! You can't go on like this, trust me. You'll either wig out before you know it, or break your brain. You are coming with me- and after you've come with me and still don't want to act like a human being, you can come back here and accio your sodding books."
Finn's nearly serious tirade made an impression on Rasmus who was not used to listening to Finn do anything but jest or be an ass in class. It was enough to allow himself to be pulled out of the study room and towards the quidditch pitch. It was a bright Saturday afternoon, with just a little hint of frost to herald October.
Rasmus rolled his eyes.
"Will you release my arm already? I am following you anyway."
"Nope, dun' trust ya," Finn's brogue became more prominent again. "Not until yer playing and into the game."
"Playing the g- oh, no. I never agreed to that," Rasmus planted his heels in the ground and refused to go any further. "I don't play quidditch."
"What? How can you not play quidditch. Don't ya have the world's greatest game in Greece?"
Rasmus made a face.
"Yes we do have 'the world's greatest game' in Greece," he gestured the quotation marks with his fingers, "but it's not my thing. Sorry, I'll go back to my boring books now."
"Hey hey! Come on, no quidditch then, how about a few laps with the broom?" Finn begged. "You need some exercise to work all that brooding off, that's what my sister always says! And Justine says you must work out some way with that body you have."
Rasmus laughed.
"Are you telling me Justine's been checking me out? When? She only has eyes for Harperblott, who does work out with the quidditch team."
"Ah, ye innocent of heart," Finn shook his head, one hand over his heart. "Justine is a flirty little butterfly, Rasmus- if you didn't have your nose in your books all the time, you'd know she tastes all them flowers."
"Hey now!" Rasmus smirked, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Those books are what get you all those nifty essay grades."
"A few laps with the brooms, and then I'll study with you," Finn grinned. "C'mon."
"No," Rasmus shook his head. "I don't do brooms."
Finn raised his eyebrows, and Rasmus groaned.
"You know what I meant! And whatever you say, I won't go broom-flying today or any other day. So there!"
"So how do you exercise? It isn't something icky or obscure, is it, some dirty little secret I can blackmail you with?" Finn grinned, knowing he almost had his friend cracked, since he didn't seem too eager to be returning indoors and he wasn't walking away on him. In fact, just being in the open air after so many days since- since then, seemed to invigorate Rasmus more than any potion. Finn grinned in challenge.
"Either tell me, or I'll accidentally have a broom sweep you away into the ether," he said good naturedly.
"I dance," Rasmus shrugged.
"You… dance?" Finn intoned. "Like what, exotic?"
"You're really sick, you know that?" Rasmus made a face. "I dance as in, normal dances. Like this."
His heels clacked on the cold slabs of the path towards the quidditch pitch as Rasmus danced a quick tap dancing sequence, feet flying, legs speedy, body gracefully and vigorously twirling and hopping around Finn for a few seconds before coming to a snazzy, flamboyant stop opposite his friend, hands out in simple superiority. His smug look implied he knew he was good. Finn laughed in surprise.
"Man, that was amazing!"
"It was amazing," chirped a voice amidst a gaggle of green-clad quidditch players who were walking up the path to the pitch just then. Gaunt was their leader. "Amazing just how much you will insult Slytherin House with insignificant muggle gyrating mating dances, Snape. Your sort never cease to amaze us."
"Back off, Gaunt," Finn said, confident that if any wands were drawn, Rasmus would be doing all the dueling and he would just jinx when nobody was looking.
"Is that what you think?" Rasmus smiled dangerously. He had forgotten just how much dancing soothed him and empowered him. "Do you think muggle dances are beneath a wizard?"
Adeline Gaunt laughed pretentiously and prepared to answer in the affirmative, but she was given no chance. Rasmus walked up to her in two big strides, grabbed her arm and yank-twirled her into his grasp so firmly and smoothly that the girl just yelped. Holding her securely at the shoulderblade, eyes locked with her surprised ones, he slipped his leg between hers, his body suddenly pressing against hers. Then his leg snagged around her own, making her knee bent backwards and he dipped her until she nearly touched the ground. Rasmus held her there for a few fractions of a second before turning her back up to a standing position and releasing her with another twirl. Adeline was left gawking at Snape's son, her cheeks slightly flushed.
"A wizard who thinks dancing of any kind is weak, will never know how to treat his woman. I'm glad you enjoyed that gyration, Miss Gaunt."
And he marched off through the Slytherin quidditch team, as they numbly made way for him to pass, followed by Finn who cat called at Adeline Gaunt until they were both out of sight.
"You are an ass, you know," Rasmus whacked Finn playfully up the back of his head, but he was really thankful to his friend. Nothing was easier than before that afternoon, but he was now ready to face it- ready to talk to Nikos, ready to look at portrait frames, ready to do what it took to at least make all those deaths count.
***
And that's that! Someone needed to let loose, apparently. Hah! I hope you enjoyed that little bit. There was a hint that Rasmus is a dancer earlier, but maybe you'd have dismissed it. Such visual scenes often look much better on screen, but try to imagine it anyway. Tell me what you think! (except that I played around while advancing the plot in obscure ways ;P)
I corrected Poppy's name! Just shows who I was thinking about, plotting ahead while writing the scene.
Duj: Very true. The stiff upper lip and all.
Sindie: Yes! Is it being long a bad thing?
Hwyla: Thank you! Yes, there will be action until the end. Hope to hear from you again!
Zoe Bright: I really am enjoying these thorough reviews of yours! Yes, Nikos followed the whole 'fighter culture' that wants heroes to go down fighting. Bit of a Spartan streak there. Unicorns did try to fight back, I bet she did get poked. *nod* Ha ha! Nikos is thick as a brick where it concerns love affairs, I'm afraid. Rasmus is far better at it, when he's interested. ;)
And as for Harry-as-Snape's-son, I actually like that yarn a lot when it's done right. I just didn't want to go for it because it was done so very often, and I wanted to see other interactions. I also wanted to add a bit of Mediterranean spark into the mix, which is why I didn't go down that path. But it is fun to read and write, I must say that.