Chapter 11
He was not there when I arrived, but apparated back in within minutes. He must have felt everything I went through. He simply opened his arms to enfold me securely. His soft whisperings took away the frustration and rage that coursed though me. When I was calm again, he kissed me gently.
"Persephone has remembered, then? Her pain has now become yours, Thera. Put it away, it will distract you from our chosen course unless you do. Yes, you are getting tired of them all asking if you are loyal to the Order or to me. They do not understand it is one and the same. I have played the villain far too well these past years. They think me Iago or MacBeth."
"Lupin has doubts. He, alone, is aware of how Dumbledore used people. His recent marriage has made him more aware of our situation. He told me that he will give you the benefit of the doubt. He wants to believe, Sev. He sees, perhaps because of the marriage or the lycanthropy, that there are deeper doings, hidden currents in this maelstrom that is almost upon us. He will stand on our side when we must face a reckoning after this is all over. I am sure of it."
"On our side, Thera, when we face a reckoning….. I do not want you tarnished with my deeds. I need you to be able to contrive a defence for me."
"You, my love, are the one who added partnership to our vows. Anyone who was present at our bonding knows that vow binds what we do. We, oh Merlin, that is why Dumbledore had Moody hide the bonding papers! He knew we could both be tried for his death. Sev, we are in this together, I am very much convinced that both our lives hang in the balance."
"I was hoping against hope that was not the case. It is no matter now, love. We have the presentation to endure tonight. Are you up to it? Shall I simply use the Imperius on you and have him see you as the spoiled, shallow bookworm I have painted you? Do you trust me enough to do that?"
"Yes, of course I trust you. If you think it best, then do it. I am yours to command, always."
He simply smiled at me. It was now early afternoon. I took a long bubble bath to further relax me before getting dressed. We ate dinner early then dressed for the occasion. After declaring I looked perfect, Sev told me that he would only use a partial Imperius curse. It would make me seem to be brilliant, bookish, and completely spoiled. I told him to do it, that I wanted the evening over with as soon as possible.
When we arrived at Malfoy Manor, Lucius and Narcissa were barely polite. Draco stayed as far away from me as possible. The Dark Lord would have sickened me if I had not been Iimperiused. As it was, I merely curtsied to him and clung to Sev like a limpet. Bellatrix made some sniggering comments and circled me several times until, suddenly, the seams on her dress gave way and it fell off of her. She made as if to slap me but Sev prevented her. The Dark Lord ordered her out of the room angrily. He tilted my chin up and stared into my eyes. My shields let him see what I wanted him to see. He smiled evilly at me before letting go of my chin.
"She will do nicely, Severus. Pureblood. Her mother gave birth to four children in eight years. She should do as well. Pity she doesn't have more spunk. But she adores you. You may take her home. I will deal with Bella; she should not have tried her intimidations on the girl. She will regret this, I promise you."
"It shall be as you wish, my Lord. Do you wish for me to return?"
"Yes, Severus, there are things that must be done tonight. Things I must tell you. Go but return soon."
"Of course, my Lord."
He disapparated us back to Chelsea and removed the imperius curse. He held me tightly before kissing me passionately. Then, he was gone; back to the Dark Lord and the dangers of being a spy. When he returned it was very late. He was clearly upset. He threw the robes and the mask as far away from him as he could, then poured a very large drink from the bar. When he had downed two drinks he came to me. He knelt in front of me and took my hands.
"Thera, I got back there just before something horrible took place. They killed someone tonight, one of your teachers, Charity Burbage. I could not have stopped it. I did what I could, used a spell to knock her out before the Dark Lord let Bella kill her. I told him of the plans to move Harry. That the Ministry has put so many restrictions on travel that the only method left is for the Order to fly him out. The Order will move him this Saturday. His birthday is a few days after that. I must be in on the attack when he is moved. I will do my best to keep the Death Eaters from injuring or killing anyone. The wand work proficiency of the Death Eaters on brooms is on a par with Weasley's test-taking skills. I think there should be few, if any injuries."
"You will take care, won't you? There will be spells being flung about like confetti. I would prefer not having you hurt."
"I will do my best, Thera. They are taking the decoys different ways. Some on brooms and some on Thestrals, Hagrid is going to unearth the motorcycle also to transport one of them. There are safe houses set up so they do not all have to go to the Burrow at once. You must stay focused, your thoughts and worries could distract me from what I must be doing. I promise I will do my utmost to thwart the efforts of the Dark Lord without him being aware of it."
"I understand. I will be careful to keep from distracting you."
He poured me a drink before joining me on the sofa. We had several days to get through until Saturday. The waiting would be fraught with worries. He eventually went to bed, but I stayed up to watch the lights on the Thames. I was still sitting by the window in the morning when he woke. There were Muggle mothers with babies in pushchairs on the walk. I wanted a child so badly, but until the war was over, I would have to make do with watching. I raised tear stained eyes to Sev when he brought me tea.
"Do not cry, Thera, please. Why don't you see how your mother is and the two of you can discuss what you should wear to the Weasley wedding. It will pass some of the time. You need to stay active. Now go shower and we will have breakfast. You could go to the Petersburg house to check on Ptitsa."
I did just that. I raided my mother's closet in the Petersburg house and brought back an embroidered skirt set in shades of coppery gold and turquoise and teal on a background of purplish taupe. The jacket was tunic length and the skirt was not really a skirt at all but palazzo pants. The blouse was a simple shell of dove gray with a chevron of the embroidered fabric accentuating the bust line. On a whim, I stopped in at the Boots store and bought a supply of Muggle bandages and ointments. I thought it could not hurt to have them on hand. The next few days seemed to drag interminably. But, at last, it was Friday night; I had stopped at Sainsbury's for our dinner though neither of us ate much. We both had wine with the few bites of dinner that we managed. I went to bed very early. Sev came to bed much later. In the morning I woke him very gently, with caresses and soft love words that inflamed his passions. We spent the early morning making desperate, violent love before his mark burned and he had to go.
At noon I walked to the V&A to visit the exhibits that interested me. The gift shop with its old wood shelving and display tables that were filled with intriguing little items drew me for only a few minutes. The British Galleries with the scattered paintings was my main destination. I loved coming around a corner and coming face to face with John Wilmot, 2nd Lord Rochester. The eyes in the painting seemed to follow the viewer. I always got the impression that young Wilmot was laughing secretly at the myriad tourists who viewed his likeness. After leaving the museum, I made my way to the South Kensington tube station. I took the tube to Notting Hill Gate and changed to the Central line to go to St. Pauls. In the great church, I stood before the statue of John Donne and reached a hand to touch the figure. The stone was warm to my touch and it vibrated beneath my fingers. I felt the magic in the statue much as I had sensed the magic in his writings. I looked up at the face and felt, if not saw, him smiling at me. I murmured a quick thank you and hurried back towards the tube station. On impulse, I got off the tube at Chancery Lane and made my way down to the entrance to the Temple Church grounds. I sat for a few moments beneath the overhang before continuing on my way. I walked down the hill to the Temple tube station and rode to the Sloane Square stop. I walked along Cheyne Walk trying not to worry, but without much success. It was still mid afternoon and the plans to move young Harry were not due to go into effect until nightfall. I still had several hours to get through somehow. I sat on one of the many benches along the embankment to watch the traffic on the Thames. I tried my best to read a book which I had carried along but after reading the same paragraph for the fifteenth time, I gave up and went home. I found Viktor waiting for me. He exclaimed as I walked in the door.
"What have you done to your hands, cousin? They are bleeding. You are worried about him. You have dug your nails deep into the skin of your palms. Let me fix this for you. I know this is going to be hard, but know that I am worried about the same thing. Hermione is to be one of the decoys and it terrifies me that I cannot protect her. Sit here while I heal these cuts." He was doing his best to soothe my fears with gentle words.
"I bought you the Stolichnaya, Viktor. There is an open bottle in the bar. Pour us each a drink. I have been trying to keep my mind clear of the worry. Perhaps if I drink enough I can sleep through this."
"No, Thera Igorovna, you will talk to me. You cannot become distraught. We will talk of the Weasley wedding, your mother, old times, but I will not let you dwell on this. Have you found a dress for the wedding? "
"There was an outfit in my mother's closet in Petersburg that will do. I am taking them a supply of the Murtlap Salve as a wedding present, and the receipt for it. That way they can create more if need be. Are the Aurors going to be there to protect the wedding guests?"
"There will be Aurors there, yes, but also my friends who want to insure a happy day for my Hermione's second family. Things may start falling apart very quickly, Thera. We need to be prepared for any eventualities. Make sure you bring your wand. Drink up little cousin. I am going to go back to Spinner's End and wait. You should go to bed. He will come to you when it is over. I envy the two of you, you know. I remember the look on your face that morning after your bonding. I want to see that look on my Hermione's face one day soon. Once this is all over I think I will join the Aurors. Quidditch seems so trivial now; I want to do something worthwhile. Take care, little cousin. Finish my drink as well as your own, then go sleep. But be as beautiful as you can be for the wedding. I can then tell Severus that all the men envied me as your escort. I hope one day Hermione worries for me as you worry for him. Dasvedanya." He closed the door behind him.
I smiled at his words. He loves her as much as I love Sev, I thought. I hope it will work out for them. On that thought, I made myself eat the remnants of the previous night's dinner and drink both glasses of Vodka. Then I showered and went to bed. If I was sleeping I could not project my fears to my husband.
Shortly after two in the morning Sev returned. I woke up when he kissed me. I could tell instantly that he was upset yet exhilarated. He was pacing as he talked.
"All did not go as planned, Thera. There were injuries. Amycus Carrow was trying to hit one of the Harrys with a spell but Lupin was flying erratically. I was trying to hit Carrow but hit the decoy instead. I am afraid he lost an ear. In the confusion at the beginning, the Dark Lord and Bellatrix were going after the decoy with Moody. But Moody was too fast for them, then that decoy disapparated away and left Moody unprotected. Bellatrix tried to hit him with the killing curse but succeeded in breaking his broom instead. He fell a long way, Thera. Then Bellatrix went after her own niece, who is Lupin's wife. It was bloody chaos after that. Moody isn't dead. The Dark Lord had him taken to Azkaban and imprisoned. He is hurt but not in immediate danger. I have a plan working to get him out but we need to take him somewhere safe to heal. I am telling you because I want you to go to Minerva with this. Let her know he is alive but that he must be hidden. She will have an idea of where to take him. Tell her you felt this through the link. That you can read my thoughts at times , tell her anything but do not tell her that I am the one working to get him out. I want her to stay mad at me. It is safer for her that way. Oh, by the way, Remus saw it was me when I hit the disguised Harry. That is another strike against me now."
"What is done cannot be undone, Severus. But we must move forward from this point. Come to bed. We will find out more in the morning."
When he finally came to bed he was restless. Finally he curled up next to me and we both fell asleep.
An owl arrived from Viktor in the morning with the news that it had been George Weasley who had been hurt. Everyone thought Moody had been killed. Hermione had sent word to Viktor that Remus and Arthur had gone to look for the body but had not found anything.
I sent an owl to Viktor that he was not to tell Hermione anything we had talked about. But that we would talk before the wedding. He replied that he would come for me early so that we could have lunch before we went. He said to tell Sev to teach him the reversal spell so that he could attempt to heal George's ear.
I relayed that message as soon as Sev awoke. We ate breakfast in silence, not trusting ourselves to voice the thoughts besieging us.
When we had finished putting the dishes away he turned to me and said gently that we should start making plans to move to the school before the end of August.
The next few days were interminable. Each night Sev was summoned and came back to me highly agitated. He was refusing to tell me what had happened to put him into such a mood. The night before the wedding he did not return at all until just after dawn. His eyes were haunted, he moved as if in shock but he would not talk to me. Viktor arrived shortly thereafter. He and Sev were talking together in the sitting room. Sev saw I was trying to listen so he cast the Muffliato charm. I might not be able to hear what was being said but I could tell they were arguing. Sev was telling Viktor something that he did not like. Viktor caught Sev by the arm and forced him to look at me. Then Viktor pushed Sev into a chair and poured him a drink.
Finally Sev nullified the charm and they both came back to me.
"We have come to an accord, Thera. He has taught me the necessary spells to heal George Weasley. He will talk to you when we come back from the wedding, but he needs to sleep now."
Sev held me to him before silently going into the bedroom. I finished my preparations, kissed him goodbye and stepped into the floo with Viktor.
Viktor had found a pub in Portsmouth that catered to the Wizarding crowd. We had a very nice lunch before Viktor pulled a small red velvet box out of his coat pocket. He handed it to me.
"Open it, Thera. See if she will like it? I know it is too soon to ask her, but I am so worried about her. If she is hurt, I'll go mad. I am amazed you keep your sanity with Severus constantly in danger. He is very upset. He would not tell me what it was about, but he has had a severe shock. I made him swear to talk to you about it. So, what do you think about the ring?"
"What girl wouldn't love the Krum diamond? It is much bigger than my diamond, but I think I like mine better. You may have the matching diamond studs back when she says yes. I never wore them after Aunt Pasitheia gave them to me. And isn't there a necklace, too?"
"Of course, there is a full parure, tiara, necklaces, bracelets, rings, several pairs of earrings, all of which will probably overwhelm her. You keep the earrings, Thera. Those are too big for Hermione. There is a smaller pair with a drop. Come on, let's get to the wedding. You look fantastic. But you also look like you have been crying recently."
"Would you blame me? I am so frustrated, Viktor. He talks to me less and less these days. I know he has things on his mind but he has shut me out."
Viktor took my hand and disapparated us to the field next to the Burrow. He produced his invitation and we were escorted in. Hermione saw us almost immediately. She came over with a chubby red haired boy. She hugged me first then Viktor. Viktor smiled at me before leading Hermione off to sit on a bench under a tree.
The boy spoke to me in the voice of Harry Potter. "Miss Leonidas, it is Harry. I'm disguised for safety but I wanted to thank you for the dittany and for standing Hermione's friends through all this. You never seemed to be the typical Slytherin, you're too nice. And you helped us with Umbridge and you gave that salve to Madame Pomfrey for Bill's injuries. You don't have any love for the Dark Lord, do you?"
"Harry, he killed my father. My family has been devastated. His followers killed my three brothers years ago. I will fight him with every weapon at my disposal. I will aid those who fight him as much as I can. I will give you any assistance, you have but to ask."
"Viktor really cares for Hermione, doesn't he? Ron Weasley is not pleased about it but I'm glad she has someone who loves her."
"You should probably go back; it won't look good if you are noticed talking to Karkaroff's daughter. Yes, he loves her, Harry."
"You're unhappy about something. Is it someone you love? I know your mum is in St. Mungo's. Is she no better?"
"She is coming back to herself at long last. No, it isn't my mother. The man I love … it is complicated. I don't want to talk just now. Please go, Harry."
He walked back toward the house, but turned as Luna Lovegood and her father arrived.
Luna saw me immediately. She hurried over to hug me.
"I still see your rings, Thera. I see your tears, too. I know he is in danger but Hermione and I are here for you if you need us. It will come right in the end. You'll see. Viktor is in love with Hermione, isn't he? He is good for her. He is older and smarter than Ron. He is much more the kind of man she needs. He is leading a group of fighters who are protecting the students. I saw him one day in Hogsmeade. He is very handsome."
"He is my cousin, Luna. His mother is my mother's twin. My father was Karkaroff. I am glad you know, Luna. But you cannot tell anyone. His life depends on total secrecy. Promise me, please."
"I promise, Thera. I will never tell. But tell him that a woman will try to kill him very soon. Send to me if you need me. Blessed be, Thera."
Luna went off to talk to Hermione as Viktor appeared back at my side.
"Do I understand that Luna Lovegood knows about you and …?"
"Yes, apparently she can see my wedding ring and his. She said once that we were a beacon of hope for her. She confuses me but I like her very much. She saw you one day in Hogsmeade. She says you are very handsome, my vain cousin."
"Come on, the ceremony is about to start. Remus Lupin and his wife are waving. They must have saved us seats."
The wedding was beautiful. Bill Weasley's scars were not as disfiguring as everyone had feared. Fleur looked radiant. I remembered my own wedding some twenty months previously. After the ceremony was over I was sitting talking to Lupin and Dora. They mentioned that it had been Bellatrix who had cast the curse at Moody. I almost told them that he wasn't dead but decided to keep it to myself until I could talk to Minerva.
Suddenly a lynx patronus appeared and spoke in the voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt. He said the Ministry had fallen and that Scrimgeour was dead. People started disapparating away hurriedly. Harry, Ron and Hermione were gone in an instant. Viktor grabbed my hand to disapparate away just as a group of Death Eaters arrived.
We arrived back in Chelsea where Viktor left me. He went to find Kingsley to assist the Aurors. He said he would send word back to me.
The flat was empty. Sev was not there. I waited in the darkened flat until well after one in the morning for him to return. He turned on the lights and made tea before sitting down to talk.
"I slept for a few hours before I was summoned. They had taken Scrimgeour prisoner. I was to question him about Potter's whereabouts but Dolohov and Bellatrix were having too much fun torturing him. They overdid it and he died before I could question him. The Dark Lord was not pleased. He punished them both and banished Bellatrix from his presence. She begged and pleaded. It was revolting. I did not know they were going to disrupt the wedding. Thank Merlin that Viktor got you safely away."
"Luna was there, Sev. She said that a woman will try to kill you soon. I know I should not take her pronouncements to heart but please be careful. I made her swear not to reveal anything."
"She is almost uncanny in her accuracy. I think I had best watch the women around me more closely. I will carry potions and your amulet always with me."