The Gathering
Part Two.
Brightfeather and Ragingbear, dressed in their traditional garb ran hand in hand through the feild laughing as happy teenagers often did.
"This looks like as good a Spot as Any Brightfeather, lets push the Wheat down in a circle to practice the dance." Ragingbear's voice had just deepened with puberty.
They prepared the wheat for about an hour and had begun their dance when they heard the wheat parting and loud drunken voices approaching.
"Whos In MY feild!??!" Bellowed an angry voice. Ragingbear shoved Brightfeather behind her and began his appologies.
"We're sorry sir, we were just practicing our dance for the celebration... we didnt know it was your feild...We'll leave.. We're very sorry..."
But as they backed away they soon found that they had been surrounded by 5 men of varying height, weight and build, all stone drunk...and angry...
"Please! We said we're sorry! Just let us go!" a frightened Brightfeather cried.
"Lookie here Boys, we got us a pair of engins! " In very short time they were torn apart, Brightfeather held tightly in the grips of one of the men as Ragingbear tried to protect her, to fight them to save her. They made her watch as they overpowered him, and beat him, kicked him, she screamed and cried, and when they tired of beating the now unable to rise Ragingbear...they passed her between them.
She had tried to fight, she had screamed for help...strained her hand to reach Ragingbear, as she stared into his painfilled eyes as he could do nothing but watch, as all 5 of them brutally raped her, beat her, and then left her to die..
When she was sure they had left them, she crawled to Ragingbear and cradled his head in her lap..."Im sorry Brightfeather...I should have never taken us from the Gather..." he had died in her arms very shortly...she cried for what seemed an eternity before she pulled her torn clothes on, and pulled Ragingbear's body onto her back, to carry him home...she cried all the way, swearing she would never, ever love anyone like she did Ragingbear.
Severus sat very still watching as tears simply fell like rain, silently down her cheeks. "Brightfeather died that day...and out of the ashes from her death, came Firesong. And Danielle Became Danny..." He reached out and with a kercheif gently wiped away her tears...
Now he knew why she hadnt wanted to talk about why she'd gotten so angry when Malfoy taunted her...now he understood the haunted look he would sometimes see.
"And you've told no one about this since it happened, 5 years ago?" She looked up at him...her pain was raw and she shook her head. "No one but the Clans know...and they only know because I brought back Ragingbear's body..."
He reached out and pulled her unresisting into his lap and
enveloped her in his arms, and his robe. His voice was harsh,
as a hand ran through her hair.
She looked up at him startled..."You dont have to..." And
she was silenced by his finger.
"Yes I do. That is what friends do isnt it?" She nodded,
touched and burried her face in his chest and cried, she
gave way to tears of anger, of hatred, of greif and loss.
she cried for Ragingbear, herself, and for Severus...she
shook in his arms and cried until there were no tears to cry.
She made no move to leave his arms, or even move, if anything
she settled down until she was more comfortable, and
listened to his heart. "Thank you Severus...I needed that..."
She turned her gaze to look up at him, he was staring down
at her, his black eyes were intent as if he was searching
for either something within her, or something within him.
finally he asked.
"Why didnt you push me away, when we were in the Forrest?" She closed her eyes, then opened them slowly. And the first smile he'd seen since she cried appeared slowly.
"Because I care about you, and everyone needs to get it out sometimes...even if its just the tears..." He glared down at her...angry, but she didnt let it bother her.
"How can you care for me? You dont even know me." He growled...she reached a hand up and touched his left cheek. "What I know, I care about, The rest will come when you want it too. For now its just enough to be with you. As a friend, or more. What will happen, will happen in the fullness of time. Dont glare at me like that. "
Then she slid her hand from his cheek into his hair and pulled him closer. "I can care about you if I want to." And she kissed him softly.
She pulled back and simply rested in his lap..."We have hours until the sun rises...if there is anything you wish to know, now is the time to ask it. " She heard his heart beat a bit faster then slow...his hand trailed into her hair once more, almost absently.
"Tell me about what Ragingbear meant when he said, Draco will be come like Silence."
She winced and swallowed visibly. "Alright. I will tell you about Silence"
End Part Two