Chapter Three
Sonnet
The questions he had asked Kelly for Poppy had been terribly difficult for him, dreading every answer that could possibly follow. It had actually been quite uneventful, even if she was lying to them. He couldn't blame her. When asked about the bruise, she said she had rammed against the railing of one of the staircases when it suddenly moved. Possible, but the hesitation of her signs, and the almost listless way she formed them gave her away. When asked about the burn, she said she had dropped her curling iron against her leg. The distinct wince she let slip would have been enough, but Severus knew she had never touched a curling iron in her life. Her curl was completely natural, and a curling iron would just ruin it, as he had told her so many times, so many years before. A straightening iron would be more likely if there weren't potions now readily available. He hadn't expected the truth, but knowing it was there was too much in the first place.
Now at dinner, Severus glanced at the empty spot Kelly usually occupied next to him. Poppy had made her stay overnight, and Severus couldn't say he wasn't glad that she was under a watchful eye, but nonetheless. However, it would also allow them to observe any other symptoms of this supposed curse she was under.
Albus was talking about something or another, probably the silly chamber pots in the Room of Requirement again, and the rest of the staff were about as attentive as Severus was at this point, much more focused on the food in front of them. Except for Remus. Though eating, hungry after the full moon that had kept him out of sight for most of the week, he was watching Severus closely.
Bloody Gryffindors, Severus mused. Wouldn't know subtlety if it danced naked in front of them. He smirked ever so slightly at the imagery that stirred in his mind.
All too soon, the meal was over, and as he strode out of the hall, Remus falling into step next to him. Silently, they continued down to the dungeon, the temperature dropping dramatically as they continued the descent.
A fire began in the hearth when the door to Severus's private quarters shut behind him. The two sat down in front of the warmth, and Severus poured each of them a shot of firewhiskey. The next half hour or so was filled with quiet words from Severus, explaining everything they knew thus far about Kelly's situation. He kept his tone even, flat, hoping to calm the werewolf's ever growing anger.
"So what do we do, Severus?" Remus all but whispered.
Severus sighed heavily, rising from his chair. "I think we need to bring Albus and Poppy into our conversation."
A few minutes and two floo conversations later, a knock came at the door. Poppy and Albus joined the pair, taking a seat on the sofa, a pot of tea appearing in front of them.
"In light of today's events," Severus began, "I believe we need a new plan."
"If, as we suspect, Coleman is hurting her, we need to get her out of that situation. The violence can only escalate," Poppy offered.
Silence fell. Each was holding a glass or mug tightly between their hands, staring into the green flames in the hearth. Finally, Albus set down his mug, as Severus took his shot.
The twinkle left his eyes, and the lines on his face seemed to deepen as Albus spoke. "We know that this curse or whatever it might be will not be identifiable from any text, or staff knowledge. It must be a recent creation. According to Bryce, she was hit while flying, and tumbled from the sky. We can assume that the fall is the cause behind her missing memories if it indeed happened as he is leading us to believe."
Severus interrupted. "His story doesn't make sense to me Albus. Kelyea left looking for a cure twenty years ago. Her plan had been Ireland and the States, but she may have avoided Ireland altogether, knowing I might be able to find her there. If she went to the States, even in hiding, I find it hard to believe that Coleman would be so difficult to find."
The group once again fell silent, contemplating this. Remus broke first, his voice almost quavering with emotion. "Do you think he's had her for that long? Rather than the five years he's informed us of?"
"It would explain why she did not return after the First War," Albus replied. "But has she been 'Kelly' this whole time, or did he once hold sway over her as Kelyea?"
"She wouldn't have put up with any form of abuse, and she was always a particularly powerful caster. With this in mind, I would think that Coleman inflicted all of this on her, as a way of creating a dependence upon him that she could not escape. If he indeed cured her, which considering the lack of effect the moon appeared to have on her this week, I would believe that he also poisoned her. The anthurium leaves, if not counterbalanced in his cure, would have caused the loss of speech when mixed with the already present lycanthropy, despite cleansing it from her system. Other potions that use anthurium have been known to cause her other symptoms. And when anthurium is mixed with hydrangea it can cause coma and memory loss."
Albus smiled, albeit without the twinkling gaze. "This is why we have a potions master around at all times. Not to mention a brilliant one."
Severus bowed his head, acknowledging the praise humbly. "If I can analyze exactly what combinations were used, I can cure all her symptoms. Even the memory loss, but that could be a bit more difficult, and a much longer recovery."
Remus stood and walked to the hearth, leaning against the mantle. Albus continued to stare into the flame. Severus wracked his brain for any other thoughts. Poppy took the moment to speak.
"We have at least a week until Mr. Coleman returns. I say we use it to observe Kelly more closely, and slowly introduce familiar things from her time here at Hogwarts. I will release her from the Hospital Wing tomorrow with strict instructions to keep someone close at hand at all times. If necessary, she may sleep in the wing, and remain with the three of you for the rest of the day. She can only spend short amounts of time outside, but I think the warm weather will in fact do her some good."
The four made themselves content with this for the time being, finishing their drinks, enjoying one more shot, making small talk. The hour grew later and Poppy and Albus took their leave, Remus and Severus now alone again in the quiet of the dungeons.
"Thank you Severus. For being there for her today, not that I'd expect anything less. And thank you for keeping me in the loop. If you need anything at all, please let me know."
After receiving a nod from the brooding man, Remus finally released his shot glass, placing it on the coffee table before walking out the door.
Vanishing the remaining dishes to the kitchen, Severus returned to the text he had been looking through earlier that day. He didn't get far, unable to keep his concentration, rubbing his eyes in frustration after staring at the page, reading the same Latin sentence again and again. He would at least try to sleep, knowing nonetheless that it would be another night of staring at the canopy of the bed above him, wishing she was lying next to him.
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After being rudely awoken by Poppy yelling at him from his fireplace again about finding Kelly and helping her, Severus was up, dressed, and relatively presentable. The mediwitch always was good at worrying to no end. The sun was shining brightly, and the weather was still warm; perhaps the lake remained her favorite place despite her loss in memory.
Sure enough, near the sparkling blue water, the squid lazily doing laps upon the surface, there Kelly sat. She was beneath a sparse copse of trees, a small book clutched in her hands, a small basket next to her filled with bread, cheese, and a flask.
"I do hope that pumpkin juice fills that and not something more volatile, Miss Ritter," he declared as he approached her side.
She turned and took his gaze with a bright smile upon her lips. Her hair, pulled high on her head, still managed to pull loose and fall in curls about her face. Her eyes sparkled like the lake near her, and Severus found his heart taken by her all over again. Delicately, she set the book aside and stood to greet him, very formally he thought, but her hands began gesturing enthusiastically.
"Don't be silly, Severus. That reminds me, I have been meaning to ask; may I call you Sev? It is so much easier to fingerspell."
His heart leapt uncomfortably into his throat. She was the only one he had ever dared allow to call him such in the first place and the only person now in recent history brave enough to ask. "Of course," he replied after a moment, taking his forefinger and moving it up and out from his chin. The smile that returned to her features was worth the small sacrifice. "What are you reading on such a fine day?"
She held up a miniaturized leather bound copy of Shakespeare's Sonnets, and he took a breath before daring his memory.
"Take all my loves, my love, yea, take them all;
What hast thou then morn than thou hadst before?
No love, my love, that thou mayst true love call;
All mine was thine before thou hadst this more.
Then if for my love thou my love receivest,
I cannot blame thee for my love thou usest;
But yet be blamed, if thou thyself deceives
By willful taste of what thyself refusest.
I do forgive thy robbery, gentle theif,
Although thou steal thee all my poverty;
And yet, love knows, it is a greater grief
To bear love's wrong than hate's known injury.
Lascivious grace, in whom all ill well shows,
Kill me with spites; yet we must not be foes."
Hesitantly he stepped forward and bent slightly, taking the small book from her hands and turning instantly to the page on which the sonnet lay, and taking her gaze tenderly. Severus noticed a blush rising in her cheeks and began to release her hand, but she clasped it instead and turned back to her blanket, pulling him down to sit next to her.
"Sonnet 40. You did that beautifully, Sev. Could I impose upon you to read another?"
Allowing a soft smile to grace his usually stern features, Severus granted her wish and continued. "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?" he began. And so they sat, the water glistening, the sun warm, the squid languidly raising a tentacle now and again. Kelly was leaned against a tree again, watching him intently, her hands folded neatly in her lap. As he came to the end of a sonnet, he'd lost track of which one, she thanked him and rose to stretch a bit.
"Do you enjoy music, Sev? You have honored me with your beautiful reading and I would attempt the same if I might play the piano for you. And Poppy will surely murder me if I am out here so late."
He looked across the grounds and saw indeed that the better part of the day had indeed passed them by, so Severus too rose and stretched his long legs. She still played, he rejoiced within himself. But a pain threatened as he recalled her mezzo soprano following the pianos many tunes. "I would be delighted to hear you, Miss Ritter, an honor indeed. If you would lead the way."
She fell into step just slightly ahead of him and walked at an angle, almost sideways, in order to sign. As if reading his earlier thoughts, she began, "I do love the piano. But I sometimes feel something is lacking in the experience. Despite no memories nor a voice, I feel certain I sang once upon a time. Is that silly?"
Severus shook his head no. "Perhaps you did indeed. And I'm sure it was just as perfect as everything else you do."
Nodding in shy acknowledgement of the praise, the blush and timid smile returned. "I apologize Miss Ritter, I do not wish to cause you discomfort," Severus stated quietly, berating himself for such forward behavior. But she waved a hand to dismiss his apology in her now-commonplace nonchalant manner and they continued into the castle in silence.
