A/N # 1 – Excessively Perky gets major credit for the Remus/Sirius scene. I asked her a few questions and she banged out the gist of the conversation. I added a wee bit to it.
A/N # 2 - This is actually chapter 19 1/2
Times like this, Remus Lupin wished he was a little bit more like Neville Longbottom.
Yes, right now he could certainly use a bit of Neville in his soul. Others might dismiss Longbottom as lack witted and fumble fingered, but he was Gryffindor through and through. After all, he had the strength of character to attempt to prevent his friends from escaping after hours from the Gryffindor dorms. Yes, he had ended up petrified thanks to Hermoine's quick wand, but damn it, the boy had tried.
Dora gave him a quick smile for support. She could sense his unease, but she didn't know the reason why.
"I can't believe Dumbledore mentioned the Shrieking Shack incident. That was so many years ago," Sirius exclaimed. "Snivellous would have peed his knickers if he came face to face with Remus's little furry problem. It was all in good fun."
Sirius Black laughed and then collapsed gracefully onto the couch, casually tossing back his long, curly hair.
Merlin's scrote, it was like Remus was eleven years old, and he was fearful of being an outcast at Hogwarts. How overjoyed he had been when the cool boys had decided to befriend him and pick on someone else, a shabbily dressed boy with a funny name.
"It wasn't good fun, Sirius. Why don't you ever grow up? I could have killed Severus," Remus protested. "They would have put me down. Don't you remember how James and I were so furious with you over your insanity?"
"But you came around after less than a month, Moony. It's impossible to stay mad with me as I've been assured that I'm quite charming. Why are you upset at me now? That was a long time ago, and you've agreed with me before the greasy git needed to have an eye kept on him. Besides, if it weren't for me, you would have eaten Harry, Ron and Hermione and probably Snape, too. Though you probably would have thrown him up as he looks like a greasy bunch of gristle. We've had plenty of fun with Snivellus before, and you always stood by us keeping lookout, if nothing else. When I told Harry that you sometimes made us feel ashamed of picking on Severus, you know that was mostly for your benefit."
Dora looked queasy, perhaps due to her pregnancy, or the fact that Sirius was discussing Remus' little furry problem in the same breathe as cold blooded murder.
"You mostly kept quiet, really. If you didn't think we were doing the right thing, why did you help make the Map, anyway? You thought it was a good idea back then to help us sneak up on Snivellus. It didn't turn out to be necessary anyway, when you think about it. Look at what James was able to do right out in front of everybody! If we weren't going to be punished for that, with half the school watching, we might as well have done whatever we wanted anyway, instead of sneaking around with the Cloak and all."
Remus wasn't on the higher moral ground right now, because he had verbally gone along with just about everything--and he did punt his Potion on that horrible night when they discovered Peter Pettigrew was the true betrayer of Lily and James.
He was pretty quiet right now, in fact, because Remus realized that he has always been going along with Sirius just to keep the peace. It's long past time for Remus to, pardon the vernacular, grow a set. He is to be a father, and he wanted to be a proper father who teaches dhis child right from wrong by example.
"Besides, I didn't see you telling Harry that the Headmaster sacked you even before all those letters came in," Sirius said, his eyes narrowing. "And you didn't tell him what really went on in the Shack, either. So don't go all holier than thou on me about this. Now, I can actually see why Peter betrayed us. Maybe we tried out a few too many jinxes on him before we did them to Snivelly. He led a dog's life, not a rat's, some days."
Sirius smiled his winning smile, and Remus was sickened by how often that smile had charmed him. Merlin's bloody scrote, he loved Sirius but there were times he didn't like him.
"But we did everything to make your transformations better, Remus. You had fun romping through Hogsmeade, too. So don't try to pretend you're so much better than James or I was. At least I didn't almost eat him the last time--that was completely you. Of course, I made sure that Snivelly stayed out of things through all that, it would have been too much to deal with him awake."
This was new.
"Precisely what did you do?" Remus uneasily questioned.
"Oh, nothing that would hurt him much, I just let his head graze the wall a few times, bumped his head on the ceiling. You should have heard the thuds, Dora. Obviously his head is all empty. I mean, I fail to understand why Albus is so worried about Severus. It's not like he's much use to the Order now, anyway, is it? I'm surprised Moldiemort didn't just finish him off when he realized that Severus was spying for Albus."
"You do remember that it was Snape who brought you and the children in from the Forest, don't you? If you'd had your way, I would have murdered all of you," Remus reminded Sirius.
Remus' blood ran cold at that horrible thought.
"And you conveniently forget that it has been Snape all these past few years that has saved the Order over and over again. He's given us needed intelligence that has saved countless lives. Do you forget that he helped saved Harry at the Ministry last year? You remember the trap where Harry thought he was rescuing you?"
"Well, jolly good for St. Snivelly. I really don't understand you, Remus. Why are you defending Severus?" Sirius questioned. Black appeared sincerely puzzled at Remus' annoyance. "You know he only wanted me back in Azkaban, and it would have looked bad to have lost the kiddies in the process. He only did it to get that Order of Merlin. I heard he pitched a fit when he lost that Order of Merlin when I escaped. Wish I could have seen it. Must have been something, I remember how riled up he'd get with us, and how he'd try not to show how much we upset him. I caught him crying one time, and he hexed me with these huge pimples that lasted for two weeks! Poppy was vexed as she couldn't remove them!"
Sirius laughed uproariously, and again, he smiled. This time, his charming smile failed to win over Remus, because Remus remembered all too well the bloody wreckage of Severus Snape in Albus' office and the inhuman noises that a fearful, injured Severus had made.
"This teenage stupidity has got to stop, Sirius. We're grownups now. He was nearly dead when they rescued him. I was there; I saw what they carried out of Albus' office. You disparage him as a coward, but it takes a great deal of courage to be a double agent for Albus," Remus protested.
"Oh, that. He's only spying for Albus because Albus kept him out of Azkaban," Sirius insisted.
"Bloody hell, get out!" Remus' temper was not easily roused but once it was, he knew it would get ugly fast. "Get out now."
"Very well, I'm leaving. Dora, you look absolutely radiant this evening. I'll be back soon," Sirius promised. "Remus gets like this at times, but he can never stay mad at me for long."
With an easy saunter, the irrepressible Sirius Black left the room. Remus sat down next to wife, and growled.
"He is not going to weasel his way into being Godfather, do you understand me? I want our child to have godparents that have morals."
"Bloody hell," Dora laughingly agreed. "That's supposedly one of the better members of my gene pool there. Doesn't give me much hope for the wee one."
"Don't worry, Dora. Aristotle will grow up to be a kind and sensitive soul," Remus assured her. "No doubt, he'll have hair that turns pink when he's embarrassed."
"Aristotle? We're not naming our baby, Aristotle," Dora snapped. "We've already discussed it, her name will be Aphrodite. Come on, love, rest for a bit."
She positioned herself so Remus could rest his head in her lap. Tenderly, he kissed her belly.
"I have to be stronger, Nymphadora. I can't let our child grow up to be like me. So fearful of being an outcast that he doesn't dare raise his voice in protest when wrong is being committed," insisted Remus.
Stroking her husband's graying hair, Dora attempted to soothe him.
"Give yourself more credit, Remus."
"I can't," he protested. "I never protested when they harassed Severus. It was all stupid school boy stunts."
"Why does Sirius hate Severus so much? I'm not particularly fond of Severus, but he's certainly proved his loyalty to Albus over the years."
"Severus and Lily were quite close when they were younger. They were best friends in fact," Remus admitted.
"Really? What happened?" Dora's voice was calm and non-accusing.
"James always had a crush on Lily. She was pretty, but not as pretty as this purple haired vixen I know," Remus teased. He then turned serious. "James was jealous, I guess, that Lily preferred Severus' company over his. So Sirius and James kept trying to prove to Lily that Severus was no good, and finally, they won the war. Lily was no longer friendly with Severus and I remember how devastated Severus was. It was like he had lost his only friend, and naturally, James, Sirius and Peter thought his sorrow was such bloody grand fun."
"I can understand why Severus hates Sirius," Dora admitted. "But love, come to bed. Pregnant witches need a great deal of reassurances that their husbands still find them sexy."
Minerva left Albus' quarters, and she found herself in front of Filius Flitwick's door, having no comprehension of how she had gotten there. Hesitantly, she knocked on his door, hoping that the Charms Master was willing to talk.
His gentle voice answered her and he warmly welcomed her. She entered to find Filius adding the finishing touches to his fairy lights. Flitwick was in a festive mood if he was decorating with fairy lights, or else he was attempting to bolster his mood.
"Behave now, ladies, I have company," he gently instructed the blinking fairies.
Minerva sank into a chair, and she put her hands on her head.
"Minerva, love, what ever is the matter?" Filius tenderly asked.
Filius' compassion burst her emotional dam. She burst into tears, sobbing hysterically until she had cried herself out. Fortunately, Filius, being a true gentleman, had a ready handkerchief for her.
"Filius, will you shrive me?" She requested.
"Bloody hell, Minerva, what have you done?" He gently questioned her.
"I need to be shrived," Minerva repeated. "This entire situation with Severus has gone utterly pear shaped, and it's entirely my fault."
Filius pulled up a chair next to her, and he ordered her to continue her story.
"Severus ran away because he was utterly gutted when Albus canceled their Bonding. His mistaken belief is that he had somehow angered Albus, and that's the reason why Albus reneged on their agreement. The truth of the matter is Albus canceled it because I browbeat him into doing so. I accused Albus of forcing his will on Severus… actually, I accused him of emotional raping Severus because Severus wasn't strong enough to defend himself against the almighty Albus Dumbledore," Minerva admitted. "I'm no better than Albus as I was convinced that I knew what was best for Severus."
"Are you done with your pity party?" Filius sharply questioned. "Pull yourself together, girl. Severus needs you right now, and sobbing hysterically over what you might have done won't help the situation."
"Somehow, I wasn't expecting you to give me a pep talk," Minerva quipped. Her eyes were red rimmed, and she tiredly smiled at the Charms Master. "Nor a good kick in the arse."
"Albus meant well but he did overwhelm Severus into agreeing to the Bonding. Severus didn't truly want to be Bonded to Albus. He did it because he felt there were no other options available to him. He can't teach, the Death Eaters are no doubt looking for him and with his medical issues? Minerva, he is truly terrified of Albus. I sat with him over the weekend, I witnessed his nightmares. It was horrific, Minerva, he kept pleading with Albus not to hurt him."
They sat in silence for a bit, and then Filius spoke once more.
"The situation was lovingly and compassionately completely mishandled. With the very best of intentions, we utterly botched it. Severus desperately needed a Mind Healer, but he knows too much for us to send him to the St. Mungo's Mind Healer. So we kept him here in a literal prison cell in the infirmary. Albus needed to treat Severus with kid gloves, and instead, Albus overwhelmed him with a literal ocean of munificence and largesse. Albus meant well, truly he did, but Severus was busy shattering into a billion pieces at the time, and he blamed himself for not being properly appreciative of the magnanimous Albus."
"Albus believes that he's being Warded by a witch," Minerva explained. "Whoever she is, Albus calls her a very accomplished spinner of magical flows, as her Wards are both subtle and substantial. Could it be Cissie Malfoy?"
"No," Filius easily answered. "Cissie's magic is rather tentative, and I doubt being married to Lucius Malfoy has increased her self-confidence in her magical ability. He did boast that he married her for her looks, after all, not her magical ability. Of the three sisters, Andromeda would best match that description, though her magic isn't subtle. Bellatrix is like a rampaging dragon, sheer quantity and very little finesse."
"Filius? Could you find Severus?" Minerva hopefully questioned.
"I might. Albus' Searching might be bouncing off this witch's wards because he's just too forceful. Sometimes, being a mouse is better than being a lion, Minerva. Take my hand."
They were mentally joined in an intimacy far greater than physical sex. She was Filius and Filius was Minerva and yet they were an amalgamation of both Filius and Minerva. The spark that was Filius-Minerva was busy searching for the wounded soul known as Severus, and it was time consuming. Then, Filius-Minerva tasted-sensed-found the ravaged Severus, found the wards that protected him. It took time, but Filius discovered how the Wards resonated and they eased beneath them. Focusing on Severus, they quickly entered his body.
He was deeply asleep but there was someone next to him, softly singing a tune. His voice, was highly accented, was pleasant and soothing.
"More sokol pie, Voda na Vardaro, More sokol pie, Voda na Vardaro."
The mage continued to softly sing as he treated Severus. Carefully, Filius slightly opened Severus' eyes to see where he was. The mage had long white hair, neatly braided and a short, trimmed beard. His piercing green eyes narrowed as he abruptly knew that he wasn't alone.
"What is this, Dumbledore? You've added Possession to your bag of tricks? Out, damn'd spot!"
They were viciously cast out of Severus, their souls sent on a roundabout way back to their bodies. The mage was informing them in no uncertain terms that he was in complete control of their return to their physical selves, and that they best enjoy the ride.
When they woke, they were both lying facedown on Filius' floor. Many hours had past, and every inch of their body was aflame in agony.
"I hurt," whispered Minerva.
"So do I," Filius admitted. "But who the bloody hell was that?"
Oxana stepped into Sasha's bedroom, and she found him intricately casting.
"Someone, someones got underneath your wards, Oxana. They weren't able to do too much, but they found him, and they saw me. It wasn't Albus. At first, I thought it was, but he should have been able to break free of the soulride I sent them on. No, it was two of the Hogwarts' Instructors, as I followed them back to the school."
"Damn it, I'm getting sloppy," she hissed, furious that she had bungled up the Wards.
"No, no, no. Your wards are fine, whoever it was, is a very strong mage. He's not completely human, as I tasted… Goblin… in his essence. I've modified your wards to keep out mixed bloods and non-humans. I never thought of the possibility that there was a mixbreed mage in Albus' menagerie."
"Is it time to move?" Oxana questioned.
"We should think of it, and be ready to move as soon as Adrik is able to be moved. Perhaps we could visit Rada? She's always insisting that I should leave England and move to Bermuda. Wouldn't you like to live in Bermuda? I'll contact her, Snezhana and the others. While Gellert is good as dead in his luxury cell in Nurmengard, the Brotherhood still remains as long as two of us live."