A/N # 1 – Non Con, Mpreg. Angst and unhappiness abounds. Not my characters that I'm abusing.
"Albus?" Gellert Grindelwald whispered. He plainly disbelieved that it was truly Albus Dumbledore gracing his cell in the middle of the Bulgarian night.
Minerva thoroughly examined the dark wizard known as Gellert Grindlewald, half fearing, half hoping that he had been the green eyed mage that had been caring for Severus. While the outward appearances of the two mages weren't the same, Gellert could have easily Polyjuiced into another mage.
Albus said not a word in response; instead, he put his wand firmly against Gellert's jugular. The message sent loud and clear that this wasn't just a friendly visit, Albus decided that there was still some doubt in Gellert's mind, and subsequently the mage whispered a soft spell. A very uneasy Minerva simply couldn't believe what she had heard.
Albus… no… Albus hadn't just Imperio'd Gellert.
"You will tell me the truth," Albus commanded in a voice that brooked no disagreement. "Have you left this jail since you were supposedly incarcerated?"
"Yes," Gellert easily admitted. The wand against his throat was then pressed harder in response, indenting his jugular, and yet Gellert merely smiled in response to Albus' increasing threat.
"Explain exactly where did you go?" growled Albus in a very dangerous tone.
"My physical body stayed here, while my soul soared in the sky with the eagles. I refuse to limit myself to my physical kingdom," Gellert glibly assured Albus. "How's my old wand treating you? Responsive to your every desire? Careful, love, it's very fickle, Albus, and it most assuredly possesses a mind of its own. By the way, whoever is that lovely woman watching us? Old friend, she doesn't seem to enjoy this side of you. But then again, I had the unique talent for bringing out the very worst in Albus. Isn't that right, love?"
"You will not ask me any questions, Gellert. You will only answer my questions," brusquely ordered Albus.
Albus asked Gellert assorted questions and the Dark Wizard answered truthfully though a trifle too smoothly. Gellert was excessively glib for a concerned Minerva's taste, as he effortlessly evaded answering Albus' questions with anything close to a definitive answer. For the moment, Albus was too emotional over Severus' latest disappearance to realize how Gellert was deliberately goading him by reminding Albus of their checkered past. When Albus calmed down, he would be dismayed and furious that he had allowed Gellert to play him like a fiddle.
"Are you in contact with any of your former followers?" Albus intently questioned.
"All my posts are thoroughly examined before I see them, so you should ask my guards. I am convinced that there is much correspondence that I do not ever receive. I recommend Gospodin Peychinovich as I find him most cordial among the guards," cheerily assured an exceedingly helpful Gellert. "Old friend, could you possibly ease up on the pressure on my jugular? I'm beginning to feel ever so slightly dizzy and it would be most distressing to faint in front of Gospozha McGonagall…plus, unconscious, I would be then unable to answer your questions."
He knew her name!And the bloody bastard bestowed a gleeful smile on her like she should be honored... HONORED… by his attention! What the hell did he think she was? A lightskirt?
The sparring continued for some time, until Albus removed his wand from Gellert's neck.
"We can go," he imperiously announced to Minerva. "I have my answers."
Gellert flashed another winning smile at her, and nodded his head once.
"Gospozha McGonagall, I appreciate your patience watching such dear old friends meet for the first time in over fifty years. Do you desire to ask me anything? I can certainly spare time from my busy schedule of answering fan mail from my adoring public to answer three questions. For such a pretty woman, sympathetic enough to visit a broken, despised man like me, it's the very least I could do."
Gellert was mocking Albus, and to her surprise, Minerva's subconscious decided that yes, it had several questions.
"Yes, I have three questions to ask you. Albus? If you don't mind, I'd prefer to do this in private," Minerva requested. "I can assure you that I can handle him, Albus."
Albus finally left her alone with Gellert after he had provided her with numerous, unnecessary and completely unsolicited warnings about how dangerous Gellert Grindelwad truly was. Minerva gifted the Dark Wizard with her patented "Minerva McGonagall Look that Terrorized the Marauders into Behaving… Well… for a Short Time at Least". And yes, to Minerva's delight, The Look worked on Gellert also.
Boys will be boys, whether they were Marauders or Egomaniac, Dark Wizards intent on world wide domination.
"Sit," she commanded. "Understand one thing, Grindlewald, unlike Albus, I will not stay my wand. I demand true answers to my questions."
"Very well, Gospozha McGonagall, ask away." Gellert assured her in a very reasonable tone. "As you can see, I have nothing better to do."
Minerva paused, collected her thoughts and then swiftly pounced on her prey, "Does Damyan Draganov still live?"
"Dami? You desire to know if dear, sweet Dami still lives? Is that why Albus came all this way?" Gellert questioned, his green eyes narrowing. "Has some havoc occurred in the outside world for which Dami and I are being credited? Do tell me everything, Gospozha McGongall. What have I done now? Fire? Pestilence? Death?"
He grinned in unholy delight and Minerva's blood ran cold at his glee.
"Albus and I are here for the same reason, to question you, but do not be fooled into thinking that the information we require is the same," retorted Minerva. "If Albus wanted you to know the reason why he was questioning you, he would have told you. Since he didn't, I won't divulge it."
Her brusque tone made Gellert nod his head once and softly laugh.
"Albus has you entirely too well trained. Very well, Damyan died during the battle where I was captured. That's what all the history books say," Gellert easily admitted. "I was too busy with other, more pressing matters to pay much heed to his demise. True shame though, as Damyan was a true zealot. He had no fear of death; in fact, I think he greatly desired it… which might explain why he supposedly also died in 1958 in lovely Prague after he allegedly died in 1949 in Minsk. One death wouldn't satisfy that man's unholy lust for death, perhaps two or three might. Why this unexpected interest in my sad, green eyed Dami?"
Green eyed? Calm down, Min, there are plenty of green eyed mages out there!
"I'm writing a book about the deluded fools that followed you as the new Magical Messiah, and there's not much known about him," Minerva retorted. "Toma, Lazar, Sofia… and all the rest of your followers have numerous books written on them but the Bulgarian Dragon hasn't rated a single tome. I decided to corner the market on him, and retire on the proceeds to a nice chateau in France."
Gellert's green eyes narrowed and he leaned in a conspiratorially fashion towards her.
"You're lying to me, Gospozha McGonagall," Gellert whispered in an admiring tone. "You're quite the challenge, aren't you? You must drive Albus absolutely barmy as you refuse to willingly roll over and do everything he wants. No, you question him, insist that he behaves, quibble about semantics and no doubt you demand that he keeps his sizable ego in check. Oh, how Albus truly needs someone like you, Gospozha."
"And you're not answering my question." Minerva's voice cracked like a whip. "Is Damyan Draganov dead?"
"Damyan Draganov died when his wife and unborn child were murdered by that Muggle. The physical body lived on, but his soul was dead. Yes, I know what the Bulgarians Authority claim, but it is not a well publicized fact that they utterly botched the investigation in a vain attempt at promoting their stellar reputation. The Bulgarian Ministry was proud, too proud, that they stood firm against the encroaching Darkness. They attacked a grieving, mentally unbalanced wizard who had executed his wife's murderer. It was a cut and dry case, they couldn't be bothered to actually investigate the situation, and look what it got them. A terminal case of Dead for the entire Bulgarian Department of Aurors. The Ministry decided it was best to promptly execute Damyan before the truth of their gross incompetence came to light. He had no trial, was given no chance to defend himself… just to keep the Bulgarian Ministry's reputation intact. I do hope that you mention that scandalous tidbit in your book."
Gellert softly laughed.
"I thought he would be a fine, motivated addition to my Brotherhood, and we broke him out of his jail cell. But he was never quite completely sane after that traumatic experience. Some court love, Damyan courted death. His deepest yearning? He desired nothing more than to die and to take as many people as possible with him. If anything, his death wish only strengthened over time, so if my fey Dami didn't die at the battle and he somehow escaped Minsk and Prague, I do not doubt that he has long since found the demise he so craved. One more question, Gospozha McGonagall."
For a moment, she was about to protest and shout "What? I haven't asked a second question", but she realized that the whimsical Gellert would count that as her third and final question. What a bloody, charming, erudite bastard he was. No wonder why Albus had deeply loved him before he realized how tainted Gellert's soul truly was.
"Tell me all there is to know about Damyan," she requested. "For my book, you understand. Answer truthfully, and I'll think pleasant thoughts of you when I stroll through my vineyards."
Gellert nodded his head once in appreciative acknowledgement that she hadn't squandered her final question on futilely protesting his whimsy.
"He was highly educated, and had blue blood running in his veins. A true connoisseur of good wine but Damyan never drank to excess. He listened to music and voraciously devoured books. Dami was partial to Bulgarian Osetra Caviar, and I would treat him with it. There was no warmth, no tenderness, no love in Dami for as I said, his soul died with his wife and child. As for his magical strength? Formidable but nowhere near to my level or yours, my dear. However, when he unleashed the Dragon, the very heavens would shake on their foundations, as he turned into a literal insane maelstrom of uncontrollable fury. He kept himself aloof because of his real fear of unleashing the Draganov Blood Curse if he lost his temper."
Gellert smiled a beatific smile, before he confessed, "In battle, Dami was… magnificent. If I had only a few more mages like him; I doubt that I would be here and the world would so different, so much safer for our kind."
Why would such a monster be helping Severus?
Minerva struggled to keep her composure free of her concern, yet Gellert noted her unease and decided to pounce.
"For your book, you might need to edit this for your British sensibilities. As a lover, I found him most extraordinary, as he was charming and considerate but never clinging. He never demanded anything from me. So many of my lovers were overly possessive and jealous that I found sweet Dami to be a delightful change."
The sly look Gellert gave her plainly implied that Albus had been one such demanding, possessive lover. That tidbit was entirely Too Much Information for Minerva.
"I'm sure my readers will be delighted to know that. Anything else you'd care to add?" Minerva asked after Gellert paused.
"That's four questions, Gospozha McGonagall, but since I am in such a jolly mood as I've seen my dear Albus for the first time in many years, I will give you the fourth answer," Gellert assured her. "Freely and with no strings attached. I don't really care why you're truly so interested in Dami, Gospozha, but as far as I know, Damyan Draganov is dead. But for what it's worth for your tell-all tome, Damyan consumed medical journals by the score. Be they magical or Muggle, no matter what language the journals were in, he always desired to know the latest research. Secretly, I believe there was a small part of Dami that desperately wanted nothing more than to be a simple Healer-Surgeon in Bulgaria with a wife, a child and a crup."
And Gellert would answer no more.
Merlin's beard braided and gaily beribboned, could that be the reason why Damyan is helping Severus? Because he wants to claim the child of a man he despises as his own? Does he look upon it as the chance to raise the child that was taken from him by murder?
"What questions did you ask Gellert?" Albus questioned once they were safely back in his quarters at Hogwarts.
"The same," Minerva stated, her conscience nagging her that she wasn't being completely truthful. "You're quite upset about Severus and he knew you well enough to manipulate you. I thought if I asked the same questions, there was a possibility that he would answer them differently."
Albus grumbled slightly though he knew it was true.
"I don't believe your green eyed mage was Gellert," Albus confessed. "He hasn't left Nurmengard since his trial. The wards set upon his cell haven't been disturbed in fifty years."
"I concur," Minerva agreed.
"But please, tell me what you asked and how he answered, it might be important," Albus insisted. "Please, Minerva. It might jar my mind into new directions. It's vital that we find Severus."
It was quite late in the Scottish night, and an exhausted Albus looked like he had been on a no expense spared, guided tour through the various levels of hell. His blue eyes were red-rimmed and there were new bags under the bags of his eyes. In addition, he had nearly stumbled in his tiredness on the walk back from their Apparation Point to Hogwarts. He had boldly lied to her, dismissing his near fall as merely a trip over a stone, but Minerva knew better. A holiday jaunt was one thing, but Albus had Disapparated from Hogwarts to Nurmengard and back again with her after a rather full day of chasing down a faux Severus. He was on the last dregs of his energy and was thisclose to physically collapsing.
"Tomorrow, I've got a frightful headache and it's quite late," Minerva sincerely pleaded. It was the truth, and yet not the complete truth, as she had often muddled through one of her headaches when there was work to be done. "You truly need to get some sleep, Albus. You're running yourself ragged, and it's exactly what You Know Who wants."
"Maybe a glass of wine before I go to bed will help my slumber," Albus decided before politely adding, "Will you stay and have a glass with me? I hate to drink alone, though I understand that you may wish to go directly to bed."
It was readily apparent to Minerva that Dumbledore didn't want her to stay, instead he wanted to brood on the current situation in complete solitude. Therefore, Minerva decided that she'd partake in some wine.
"I'll pour," Minerva offered, before pointedly adding, "Fawkes is in the need of some attention, I believe."
"Yes, considering how badly I bodged up everything with Severus, I should attempt to keep on Fawkes' good side. You and Filius are both rightfully vexed with me, which means Poppy is also."
While Albus was playing with his neglected familiar and shamelessly plying Fawkes with Phoenix Treats, Minerva poured the wine. For good measure, she added a fingerful of Dreamless Sleep, and carefully swirled. Then Minerva pondered a moment before she added another fingerful and Transfigured the wine back to its normal deep claret shade. The drug payload delivered; the witch then Cooled the wine down to cellar temperature.
"Fawkes has forgiven me for neglecting him," Albus wryly admitted when he reentered the room. "Fortunately, he's a very magnanimous soul and he understands the severity of the current situation."
"Drink," Minerva ordered, as she handed him a glass, carefully holding the stem of the wine glass so not to warm the wine.
"You didn't do anything to it, did you?" softly questioned the Headmaster.
"I merely ensured it was the proper temperature as I deplore warm red wine, but here, let us exchange glasses, since you think the very worst of me," Minerva stated before she carefully and deliberately switched their wine glasses, giving him the heavily laced wine.
"I don't think the worst of you, Minerva," assured a rather pensive Albus. "I've always held you in quite high esteem."
He drank the wine quicker than his norm of savoring each sip, no doubt in a noble attempt to get rid of her quicker, and the potion laced wine hit the exhausted mage hard. When Dumbledore finally collected his wits, he slurred, "Bloody hell, Minerva. What did you put in this? A double dose of Dreamless?"
"Yes," Minerva admitted. "Let's get you to bed, Albus."
He staggered like a drunk on a drunken binge, and she barely managed to drag the Headmaster to his bed before Albus gracelessly collapsed.
"Why? Minerva… you need…" Albus mumbled. "To find him…Needs Poppy…Wake me…"
"What you need more than anything, Albus, is a good night's sleep, Albus. Tomorrow, we'll talk," Minerva assured him. "If there's any news on Severus, even the smallest sliver, I will have Poppy Wake you. I promise."
Carefully, she removed his hat and glasses, and then she began to take off his high heeled, buckled boots even as he sleepily grumbled that he could undress himself just fine. Albus was still mumbling a protest when he finally conked out for the night, right before she finished removing his left boot. Shaking her head at his stubbornness, and his refusal just to fall asleep, she tucked him into bed.
It's so bloody late, but I need to speak with Filius.
"Now, Adrik, I will do a little Reiki on you," advised Sasha. The white haired mage gave Severus a smile that was no doubt meant to be compassionate and encouraging. "Can you tell me anything about what happened to you that might assist me in aligning your chi'i?"
Severus barely managed to prevent himself from making a caustic quip about Sasha not hearing him the first dozen times he had told the older mage the oh so exciting, you really had to be there to believe it story of how he had misplaced his arm.
"The Dark Lord had an eppy and chopped off my arm," snapped Severus. He understood that he should be politer to the older mage, but Severus also knew that he best stop scriking and being such a sad arse. It was time to stop whinging, and be more forceful. Sasha would have just to bear with him until Severus figured out the perfect balance between respectful and assertive. If he couldn't depend on Minerva after all their years at Hogwarts, how could he trust Sasha? The mage had found him semi-conscious and puking in an alley, after all.
Not a very good first impression.
Therefore, it was imperative that he quickly pull himself together. Hadn't he learned by now that he could rely on no one but himself? From hard earned experience, Severus knew that he especially couldn't trust those that seemed kindly disposed to him.
Hadn't Lily cheerily assured him that they'd be friends forever? Hadn't Minerva promised to assist him in learning how to appropriately deal with the livid Headmaster? It wasn't her fault that everything had gone pear-shaped, truly it wasn't, but damn it, he had desperately needed someone, anyone… to muzzle the Headmaster.
Speaking of Dumbledore, hadn't the saintly Headmaster pledged to bond him so their child could live? Foolishly, he had believed them, trusted them all.
Why the bloody hell should he trust Sasha?
He had confessed the reason behind his amputation to Sasha as it was pretty bloody obvious that he was missing an arm, but like bloody hell would Severus Snape tell him about all the horrors that he endured. Far too many people knew about Severus the pansy being ridden like a pony for his comfort and he wouldn't tell anyone else.
It would deeply scar Ari to learn that her father was a slut.
It wasn't as though he had entertained the troops willingly, but if Ari ever heard the slightest rumor regarding the sheer number of men that had amused themselves with him during his stay at Hotel de Dark Lord, the poor sprog would be scandalized. His greatest fear was that his daughter would lose what little respect she had for him.
I couldn't bear to lose your love, Ari. I love you unconditionally, and I foolishly delude myself with the happy thought that you will love me just as wholeheartedly. You'll hear the truth about me, I'm sure, and be rightfully horrified and disgusted, but please, find it in your heart to have some affection for me. I will gladly die so you can be born. Is that not a love of Gryffindorish proportion?
Sasha gazed at him for some time, and then the mage nodded his head in weary acceptance of Severus' reticence.
He's letting me keep my secrets, unlike the Headmaster who would pull them from my soul so he could delightedly revel in my deepest shame. No doubt, Sasha has his own horrors that he does not particularly care to reveal to anyone. I doubt Oxana knows everything about Sasha, as what soul could willingly love a monster like Sasha or myself?
"Adrik, I know that, but I know that you are not revealing everything to me. Very well then, can you put yourself into that meditative state that we attempted earlier? I don't want you to go completely into it, but I do need you to relax."
What a bloody big ball of wank this is, Severus mentally snapped.
Yes, it was a bloody great big ball of wank, but Sasha had demanded several sessions of Reiki Therapy to stabilize Severus' chi'i before he'd make the attempt to regrow Severus' arm. Therefore, Severus had decided to humor the Dark Mage by agreeing his proposal. That was why he was currently lying on a massage table in a dimly lit room, wearing nothing but Sasha's dressing gown that had been resized to fit him. Oh, and thankfully, a pair of knickers had been provided so his bits weren't hanging out in the breeze.
"I might need to touch you, so do not be afraid," continued Sasha who seemed oblivious to Severus' doubts. "I'll attempt to do this without touching you, but I might need to rest my hands on various body parts. I know you don't believe this treatment will do you any good, but for now, why don't you just humor me? If you're a good boy and let me do this, I promise you that we'll buy you some clothes of your very own."
"Do I have a choice in this matter?" Severus retorted. Yes, Severus had made a decision, but what a choice it was. To be permanently bereft of his left arm for the few months remaining to him? Or take the slim chance that he might regain some use of it?
"There's always a choice, Adrik. There are those who think that life is nothing left to chance, a host of holy horrors to direct our aimless dance. You can choose what path to walk; you do have free will. If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice," the Dark Wizard calmly stated. "You can choose from phantom fears and kindness that can kill. But only make the choice, Adrik."
Bloody hell, was Sasha an Agony Aunt or was he a Bloody Dark Mage whose very name scared babes into uncontrollable fits of scriking? In case Sasha was confused, the correct answer was that Sasha was a very dangerous soul whose true name would cause pee to dribble down Lucius Malfoy's leg.
"Very well, let's start this insanity. Sooner started, sooner ended and the quicker I'm bloody clothed. I had hoped that during Oxana's worldly travels she might have picked up more than just knickers for me." He put as much bite as he could in his tone.
"Good, you're getting some of your piss and vinegar back," approvingly murmured the Bulgarian wizard. "That's an excellent sign. You know that the reason why we didn't get you anything more than knickers was that we'd thought you'd run. It's difficult to flee when you're only wearing pants, and remember, I still haven't promised you shoes of any type."
Severus wondered how hard it would be to obtain a pair of Sasha's shoes. Yes, play the grateful patient, get his left arm, acquire some proper clothes and then nick the wizard's shoes.
"Perhaps, this is the time where I remind you that I have significantly bigger feet than you do," Sasha dutifully informed his patient. "Oxana's shoes are too small. You won't get very far in your bare feet."
Bugger. Bugger. Bugger! But where the hell could I go? The Headmaster is furious with me, and I can't return to Hogwarts until his ire cools. Minerva won't help me, as no doubt the Headmaster blames my escape on Minerva's leniency with me. He wants the child; he only needs me to carry it to until she's viable.
Sasha continued to talk even while Severus obsessively pondered dark thoughts.
"Now… close your eyes and rid your mind of any feelings of fear, stress, or anxiety. Take a long, slow, deep breath. You might find it difficult not to think and you may find that stray thoughts keep popping into your mind. If this happens, don't try to force the thoughts out. Examine them with detachment and without prejudice, and then let them slip away through your fingers...as though you were holding water in your hands…"
Sasha placed his hands only a few centimeters from Severus' face, and he ceased nattering for which Severus was rather grateful. The Bulgarian mage stood there for what seemed like an eternity before he moved his hands above Severus' throat.
"What is this supposed to do for me?" Severus finally questioned when the intense silence grew unbearable. He felt a warmth in his head and shoulders and he accepted that it was merely the placebo effect working on his battered subconscious. Yet, Severus couldn't deny that his neck muscles were a great deal looser than they had been. Could the power of suggestion really relax his muscles that much?
"I'm channeling my healing energy to your chi'i. My energy should be drawn by your injuries to help enhance the natural healing processes. Mikao Usui was dead right about Reiki, but if the practitioner is a Healer-trained Mage, it works significantly better because we know what pathways to nudge," Sasha explained in a terse tone.
"How long should I expect to lie here while you wiggle your hands over me?"
"Treatments are usually sixty minutes, but I think I'll need more time with you two. You might feel a sense of euphoria. I have had a few patients tell me that they felt warm or tingly, but not all. It really depends on your sensitivity," admitted Sasha.
"My lack of sensitivity is legendary," snarked Severus. "In fact, I am justifiably proud of it. It's taken me years to hone it."
"I've noted your insensitivity already, which is quite possibly why I enjoy you so much, Adrik," retorted Sasha. "You might relax enough to fall asleep during a treatment. Whatever happens during the treatment, don't fight it, Adrik."
He found himself back in the park and a sleepy Ari had snuggled in his lap. Unlike the previous time, the energetic Ari was rather lethargic and hadn't demanded that he play with her. No, now she was content merely to cuddle. Severus permitted himself the opportunity to stroke her wild hair, attempting to calm the unruly mess into some semblance of order.
Least you don't have hair like Granger plus your teeth are perfect. PERFECT! Who would have thought that I could play such an essential role in producing such a beautiful child?
"Yes, I feel sleepy also," Severus confessed. "Maybe I'll be able to fall asleep and not have any dreams. Uncle Sasha's Reiki Folly seems to have some positive aspects after all. Yes, Ari, he's your Uncle Sasha. For such a young child, you have such a menagerie of strange relatives. You've got your Auntie Minnie with her obscene tartan fetish, Uncle Aberforth and his fondness for goats and you have Auntie Oxana and Uncle Sasha, both of whom we don't dare talk about in front of your Father, as Sasha had that slight disagreement with your Father."
While he couldn't claim to be euphoric, Severus certainly thought that he was rather verbose.
The spreading feeling of warm relaxation started at the crown of his head, flowed down his neck and then into his right arm. The warm feeling enveloped his feet, slowly spreading up his lower legs. Ari gave a mighty yawn, drowsily whispered a very soft, "Love you, Papa," and then began to sleepily suck her thumb.
"Just for now, I'll let you do it," Severus groggily decided as he lacked the energy to do anything besides relax. "But don't plan on making it a habit."
Drifting… floating… a drowsing Severus soon forgot where exactly he was. The warm sensation comforted and consoled him; eased his physical and mental tension… He didn't know how long he was adrift when reality intervened.
"Roll on your side," ordered a male voice.
Groggy, he murmured a sleepy protest against Albus' rather rude interruption of his slumber. His mind still fuzzy, he attempted to drift back to sleep even while he soothed Ari.
"Roll on your left side," Albus repeated. "Come on, trust me. Doesn't this feel good? It will feel so much better if you just roll on your side."
His subconscious panicked and instinctively reacted to that all too familiar coaxing taunt from his capturers. He would die before he let Albus ride him while Ari watched. Albus' magic had sparked the dying, magical embers in his soul and somehow, he found the strength to Choke Albus even while Ari wailed in terror.
He was standing over a slumbering Severus who seemed deeply asleep. Truly, Albus had never seen Severus so peaceful, the harsh lines on his face soothed away, revealing how young Severus truly was and how much pain he kept hidden behind his mask. His hands nimbly gestured and maneuvered over Severus, not touching Severus yet Albus could feel his power flowing into the sleeping figure.
The boy's head first, so he could treat the Muladhara chakra and the Anja chakra, then his neck so the Vishuddha chakra could be corrected. That treatment completed, he found himself sweating, as the boy was draining him far more than he expected. Truly, he was getting too old to effortlessly provide this type of treatment, but still he persevered for Severus needed the healing that only he could provide. The boy's shoulders were properly aligned then he tenderly cared for Severus' right arm.
It felt right to be taking care of Severus, to be able to support him magically during this difficult time.
He paused then, uncertain about whether to adjust the boy's Muladhara, Anahata, Manipura or Swadhistana chakras next. The left arm, he would leave until last. Hopefully, Severus would be so deeply relaxed that he wouldn't be able to sense his wound being doctored. He wasn't treating the major chakras in his standard order, as the boy's auras were such a bloody, chaotic mess. This wasn't a true Healing, but instead Magical Triage.
Yes, he would align the boy's Muladhara chakra next. The base root chakra, it dealt with survival, security and safety. Fix that, have it flowing properly, and he could get the boy centered and grounded. Then he could work on the boy's magical deficiency. The Muladhara was located on the base of Severus' spine in the coccyx region. Even with Severus in a supine position, he could manipulate the Muladhara but Albus' energy could be more efficiently dispersed if Severus was in the left lateral recumbent position. He was old, and exhausting himself during the Healing. The boy's mental, physical and magical wounds were extensive, and Albus needed to conserve his magic if he wanted to be able to complete the session.
"Roll on your side," he whispered.
The boy moaned once in response, and Albus repeated his request.
"Roll on your left side," he repeated. "Come on, trust me. Doesn't this feel good? It will feel so much better if you just roll on your side."
His words caused the boy to panic. Severus' magic had been diluted to the point where he had foolishly believed the mage too weak to attack him, but he hadn't expected the boy to react like this. The boy sucked the magical energy from him and directed it back towards him, bludgeoning him with raw, uncontrollable power. The air around him was literally crackling from the sheer amount of wild, chaotic magic that a frenzied Severus was wielding.
"No! NO! NEVER AGAIN! I won't let you touch me!"
Severus was still panicking, caught in a nightmare from which he couldn't break and he reacted instinctively. With a twist of his mind, he brutally slammed Albus against the wall. The breath knocked out of him, Albus realized that he couldn't breathe as Severus was choking him.
"I'll kill you before I let you do that to me again!"
Albus woke then, gasping for breath, his heart pounding. Hesitantly, he put his hand against his bruised throat and winced. Truly, he felt as though Severus had attempted to physically strangle him.
"Why am I dreaming of aligning Severus' Chakras?" His voice was hoarse as his throat was quite painful. "What madness is this?"
Sasha was being viciously bludgeoned and choked by a panicking Severus. During the Reiki session, he had kept himself defenseless, wide open in order to promote the transfer of energies, and his patient had turned it against him.
"No! NO! NEVER AGAIN! I won't let you touch me!"
Severus wasn't aware of his surroundings. Least, Sasha preferred to believe that the boy wasn't intentionally choking him to death. But it didn't really matter why the boy was doing it, as the pressing issue was that Sasha couldn't breathe.
"I'll kill you before I let you do that to me again!"
His patient was frenzied from fear and Sasha regretted what he had to do next but it was essential to physically shock the boy. Severus was sucking power from him at an unholy rate, and if he managed to drain Sasha dry, the boy would almost certainly consume Sasha's heartstone next. Plus, Sasha had to admit that he was ever so slightly pissed that he had gotten himself into this situation.
No good deed ever goes unpunished.
If he didn't get the boy under control shortly, Sasha knew that his cursed temper would boil over and Severus would be massacred. Time in which to successfully resolve the situation was running short as his vision was blood tinged and he could hear the damnable, maddening drums in his head, pounding in time to his racing heartbeat. With a heavy heart, but knowing it was the only acceptable alternative when faced with the risk of a berserking madman or a magical apocalypse caused by an unstable heartstone, Sasha slapped the boy hard with his open hand, putting all of his substantial physical strength into the blow. A stunned Severus bonelessly collapsed like a stunned Oliphant. Fortunately for Severus' sake, Sasha managed to grab him before he hit the floor.
"I'm coming!" Oxana roared as she quickly ran up the steps to the treatment room. "What the bloody hell happened?"
"Blue vial," Sasha tersely ordered, as he roughly pulled Severus into a tight embrace. "He panicked during the session as something triggered a reaction. The boy turned my magic against me and I hit him. Upon close reflection, I might have hit him a wee bit too hard as his face is bruising."
"Oh, just a typical day in the office," Oxana snarked. "Let me get the vial. I'm assuming you'll want the full regiment."
"Yes, I will. It's alright, you didn't kill me," Sasha hoarsely assured a mute, trembling Severus. "I'm still here. You're not the first person to attempt to kill me and I can easily assure you with complete confidence that you won't be the last. Let's get you grounded and centered, lad, as it will help. Now, breathe in slowly, hold it, and exhale…. That's it. Breathe in…. breathe out…. Breathe in…. breathe out… "
"You've got his thumbprints on your throat," announced a horrified Oxana when she returned in short order with a fully loaded tea service. "What the bloody hell happened? Why are you talking like that? What happened to your voice?"
"He tried to choke me," Sasha explained. His voice could only be described as a very tightly controlled. "Like I explained, he panicked during our session, turned my magic against me and attempted to strangle me. Put three drops of the blue vial in the tea and briskly stir it anticlockwise twice and then add one teaspoon of the red vial. You'll then need to stir it clockwise three times and then dissolve two sugar cubes into the mixture. I'll hold him, and you ensure that he drinks all of it."
It took a great deal of effort on Oxana's part, but Severus managed to choke down the medication.
"Didn't I ask you if there was anything you needed to tell me, Adrik?" hissed a wrathful Sasha. "Some God must like you, as you're damn fortunate that I didn't bloody slaughter both of you just now. I should wash my hands of you. I should wrap you up like a present with a pink ribbon and leave you in the middle of the Merlin blasted Quidditch Pitch for St. Dumbledore to find. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't!"
Severus said not a word; instead he seemed to shrink even further into himself.
"Calm down, Dami," Oxana coolly stated. "Your blood is boiling and your anger is causing our Shielding to pulsate. If you don't settle down and soon, every mage in Europe will decide it necessary to investigate the chaotic magical disturbance your reprehensible lack of control is causing. Do you truly desire that?"
A raging Sasha stormed out of the room and Oxana quietly sighed.
"Don't worry; you won't have to deal with Dami today. Traditionally, after he has an eppy, he'll be exhausted and sleep for most of the day," she admitted. "Tomorrow, Dami will be horribly mortified by his bad humor and he'll be absolutely impossible; terribly apologetic and quite determined to make amends."
Severus muttered something softly, perhaps an agreement, perhaps not, but Oxana took it as such.
"Let me put you to bed. It'll be alright, he won't throw you out in the streets," she assured Severus. "That was the madness talking."
"I should go," whispered Severus. "Get me clothes, get me shoes, I'll leave. When he wakes, I'll be long gone. I promise."
She manhandled Severus into standing on his feet, and she half carried, half dragged him to his bed.
"Get some sleep," the witch ordered. Her voice was not unkindly. "Reiki affects people differently. Some people have an emotional breakthrough during a session, though you're the first patient that's attempted to murder Dami during a treatment."
She softly laughed, and carefully tucked him into bed.
"You can't leave here. The medication I administered to you will ensure that you're sleeping for the next twelve hours or so."
"Why?" Severus whispered. "Why are you helping me? I don't understand."
"Because, Adrik, in every human, there is a potential for unspeakable evil balanced only by unlimited compassion."