61
Family Crisis
Dickon remained still while Poppy ran her wand over him and then interpreted the results of her diagnostic charm, while next to her a magical quill wrote down her patient's vital signs and his injuries. "Professor Richard Marsh—heart rate, normal, blood pressure 180/90, has two cracked ribs on the right side, lacerations upon the right shoulder and both sides of the face, a split lip, broken nose, various contusions upon the back and upper torso, rope burns on your wrists, a very slight concussion, and a punctured ear drum. You're partially dehydrated and you're running a temperature of 38.3 Celsius (101 F)." Poppy's voice was calm and professional, but Dickon could see by her expression that she was outraged at what they had done to him.
She turned to Severus, her mouth pursed. "Severus, would you mind getting a few potions out of that cabinet over there?" She indicated a large cabinet next to her office, with a countertop for grinding up more medicinal herbs with a mortar and pestle lying atop it.
"Not at all, Poppy. What do you need?" He set Eclipse down beside his master.
Poppy promptly rattled off a Fever Reducer, a Pain Reliever Class Four, a Bone Mend, a Quick Healing Salve, a purple disinfectant salve, and also asked for a basin of cool water, cloths and bandages.
Severus assisted her competently, while she gently sponged the dried blood from the professor's face and healed his nose and lip. She rubbed the salves on the cuts upon his cheeks and shoulder, and had him drink all the potions. Then Severus helped him remove his robes and shirt, so Poppy could heal most of the damage to his back and ribs, and wrap them tightly with the bandage. She healed the concussion enough so Dickon stopped feeling dizzy and then asked Severus if he could brew her a special draft for Dickon's eardrum, since that was a tricky spell and she did not want to risk casting it wrong, a potion could heal it just as well, though more slowly.
She gave Dickon a large glass of ice water and said, "Mind you drink it all, old friend, you need the liquids. You're lucky you didn't have a punctured lung or worse internal injuries. Whoever did this deserves to be hung by their toes from the Astronomy Tower!"
"I'd have to agree with you on that, Poppy," Dickon said, coughing slightly. He began to pet Eclipse with his free hand. The black temple cat began to purr loudly, rubbing against Dickon's side. "I feel like an ass, letting them get the jump on me like that. But then, I was hardly expecting to be attacked in my own tower."
"You shouldn't need to worry about personal safety in your own quarters, Dad," began Severus angrily. "I'm going to inform the Headmaster about this right now and then I'll owl Mum."
"Ah, Sev, maybe you'd better wait to tell your mother," Dickon said, wincing.
Severus shook his head. "Remember when I was hurt as a sixth year, Dad, and I didn't want you to tell Mum? You said she had a right to know."
"That was different. You were her son."
"And you're her husband," Severus countered. "I don't want to end up with an ass's ears because I didn't inform her about your condition immediately."
"He's right, Dickon. Eileen deserves to know what happened and to be here with you if she chooses." Poppy put in.
"It's not that I don't want her here," the astronomer sighed. "But she might just tear the castle down around our ears once she finds out I've been injured."
"Well, that too is a wife's prerogative," Poppy chuckled. "Now, you just finish that water and rest, Dickon Marsh. You don't want Eileen worrying any more than she has to."
Dickon obeyed, unlike most of her patients, he was a sensible man.
Severus left, after casting a few wards about the infirmary, just in case, though he doubted the attackers would be so bold as to attack Dickon again in the infirmary. He had the uneasy feeling that this had been meant as a warning of sorts, but whether to him or his family, he was unsure and of course could say nothing.
He departed to speak with Dumbledore. The Headmaster was suitably shocked and outraged and hurried off to see his astronomy professor, assuring Severus that the ones responsible would be caught and dealt with most severely. After informing the Headmaster, Severus quickly penned a letter and sent it off with a school owl to Spinner's End. He then went down to his lab and began to brew the Eardrum Remedy. Albus, you had better talk fast once my mother gets here, otherwise you might find yourself buried in a hole in the ground.
ICICICIC
13 Spinner's End
Marsh residence:
"Like this, Mummy?" Jess asked as she tried to shape the scone dough into a triangle. Her small hands were full of sticky dough, but she didn't seem to mind, she was concentrating too hard on her task. Though only three, Jess was very ambitious and intelligent, and determined to help Eileen bake.
Eileen smiled at her little girl. She loved doing these little domestic things with her daughter, she had always envied Polly Evans for having girls to be able to teach them things like baking and cooking and sewing. Not that she hadn't taught Sev how to cook or bake simple things, but when Severus was growing up, she had been working almost nonstop and came home exhausted, so she rarely had the time to show him how to cook and then she had to deal with Tobias, who would have beaten them both black and blue if he'd ever found out she was teaching his son "women's work". But now she had the opportunity to teach Jess and she loved every minute of it. Jess enjoyed spending time with her mother, and liked learning "grown-up things", she was inquisitive and eager and very focused for such a young child.
"Very good, Jess!" she praised the little girl, who had shaped a rather lopsided triangle on the baking sheet. Had Jess been older, she would have suggested making it over, but for three, it was a very good try. "Now let's sprinkle it with sugar and cinnamon."
Jess took the shaker Eileen handed her and enthusiastically sprinkled, the cinnamon-sugar ended up all over both the scone and the sheet and the counter. "Uh oh," she cried in dismay. "Sorry, Mummy. I maked a mess."
"You mean you made a mess, not maked," Eileen corrected gently. "It's all right, honey. Baking is a messy process, sometimes. Especially the first time." She gave a soft chuckle of remembrance. The first time she had tried to make a pie, she had ended up covered in flour and the kitchen looked like a flour bomb had exploded in it.
Eileen had never cooked anything until she became Tobias' wife and moved to Spinner's End. Growing up as the only daughter of pureblood wizards of an Old Family, Eileen had house elves to cook, clean, and wash clothes. She had been able to use magic to perform ordinary household chores when necessary, but once she married Tobias and consented to live mostly the Muggle way, she had to learn how to do the simplest things by hand. Her saving grace had been her neighbor, Polly Evans, who had happily taught her all about cooking, baking, and housecleaning. Polly was a few years older than the witch, and had taken Eileen under her wing as she would have a little sister. They remained close friends to this very day, and Eileen was very grateful for Polly's patience as she had learned how to bake scones, cook a roast, mash potatoes, and make a decent beef gravy, strawberry trifle, and apple pie.
Eileen could also scrub and polish and dust like a dervish, and now that Tobias was gone from her life, she could indulge in her passion for neatness and cleanliness, and she was determined to pass those qualities down to her small daughter. Luckily, Severus had inherited her preference for neatness, and she had rarely had to reprimand him for not picking up his room or being a slob growing up.
Though Jess would be raised in a wizarding household, Eileen did not think it wrong to teach her how to do things both ways, because it would help Jess understand Muggles better and she had Muggle relatives on her father's side.
Eileen was a firm believer in the phrase "ignorance breeds intolerance" and thought that if young wizards had been taught from the cradle about Muggle ways and customs, there wouldn't have been this blind prejudice against Muggleborns and half-bloods. Despite having Muggle Studies at Hogwarts, most wizards didn't know anything about the way real Muggles lived, they only thought they did. They also considered themselves superior to Muggles because of their magic, and that attitude was what led to many misunderstandings and anguish for those not born to an Old Family. It was that intolerance that allowed Voldemort to recruit so many followers, and Eileen knew one of the best defenses against such was knowledge. Knowledge with which she would arm her daughter, so Jess would never be led astray.
She finished sprinkling the remaining scones and then told Jess they had to be put in the oven to bake. Then they started on the tea sandwiches, cucumber and mayonnaise, cheddar and mustard, and ham and pickle. They had been invited to tea at Polly's, and Eileen didn't want to arrive empty handed, it was bad manners.
The scones were soon done and she had removed them from the oven and placed them on a rack to cool when there came a soft tapping at the kitchen window.
"Mummy, an owl's come!" Jess shrilled, pointing at the brown barn owl. It had a letter attached to its foot.
Eileen swiftly unlatched the window and let the owl inside. She removed the letter from its foot, thanked it and fed it a piece of scone. Then it flew back to the school. Eileen turned about, the letter in her hand.
Jess peered up at her. "Is it from Daddy?"
"No. It's from Sevvy," Eileen replied, recognizing Severus' handwriting on the envelope. She wondered if it had anything to do with Lily being in the family way. She hoped so, she had been waiting a long time for a grandchild, or so it seemed. She carefully opened the letter.
Jess toddled over to the counter, climbed upon a stool, and snitched a scone off the rack and bit it. "Mmm!"
Eileen shook her head. "Jessamyn, you could have waited for us to have tea with Mrs. Polly."
"I's hungry, Mummy." Jess said through a mouthful of scone, scattering crumbs all over.
Eileen, however, was now reading the letter, and so didn't notice. She had other things to worry about. "Dear sweet Merlin's ghost!" she exclaimed as she read about Dickon's injuries and how he was attacked by unknown assailants that were supporters of You-Know-Who. Upon reading the extent of her husband's injuries, she went pale and then resolved to travel and see him immediately.
The tea would have to be cancelled. Then she looked over at her daughter and groaned. She didn't want to bring Jess to see Dickon when he was so badly hurt, it might scare her to see her father that way. What shall I do? I have to go and see my husband, and I also want to speak with the Headmaster about this incident. But I need someone to watch Jess until Severus finishes brewing, and Lily gets off of work. Maybe Polly can help me out and at least the sandwiches and scones won't go to waste . . .
She quickly used the phone and called Polly.
Polly was quite willing to babysit for a few hours once Eileen told her what had happened. "Don't worry about a thing, luv. You just go and see Dickon and me and the little one will have a fine tea right here."
"Thank you, Polly. I'm sorry I had to cancel, but—"
"Don't think about it, Eileen. What are friends for? You used to watch Tuney and Lily for me when I had to go those dreadful luncheons with Henry."
Relieved, Eileen packed up the treats and Jess and went over to Polly's house. Polly hugged and kissed Jess and Eileen asked the little girl if she wouldn't mind staying with Mrs. Polly and having a tea party with her, while Eileen went to see Dickon at Hogwarts.
"But I wanna see Daddy too!" Jess whimpered, for she missed her father, who was often away.
"Later, sweetling," Eileen promised, giving her a hug and a kiss. "Daddy's sick right now and you need to stay here with Mrs. Polly. I'll be back later and maybe you can stay with Lily and Sevvy tonight and see your dad in the morning."
"Okay, Mum."
"Now you behave for Mrs. Polly," Eileen ordered.
Jess nodded. "I be good. Bye, Mummy!"
She waved as Eileen went out the door.
Eileen quickly returned to her house to lock up everything and make sure the oven was off, then she Apparated to the gates of the school and hurried across the lawn.
ICICICIC
Dickon was sleeping when Eileen arrived at the Hospital Wing, Severus had given him the Ear Remedy and also a Sleeping Draft some ten minutes before. She found both Poppy and Severus keeping an eye on her husband. "How is he, Poppy?" she asked the mediwitch.
"He was awake until recently, Eileen," Poppy said. "He'll recover, but it might take a few days. Punctured eardrums are tricky, as are concussions. I mended what I could, but I can only spare so much magic for him. I need the rest for any students who come in sick or hurting."
"I understand, Poppy," Eileen said quietly. "I know you will give him the best care." She gazed tenderly upon her sleeping husband and smoothed his hair away from his eyes.
Eclipse was sleeping next to him on the pillow, but woke when Eileen came by and gave her hand a rub and purred at her. Then he resumed his post beside Dickon, now sitting up and 'guarding' vigilantly.
"Hello, Eclipse. Sev tells me you scared those horrible beasts away," Eileen murmured to the familiar. "One can only hope you marked them too."
"If he has, it will make finding them that much easier," Severus said grimly. "Unless they know enough charms to heal themselves."
Eileen's eyes grew hard as flint. "Regardless, I will find them if they still attend school here. And I shall tell Albus that they must be expelled immediately. Once that's done, I shall be suing them for assault and whatever else I can think up. Or else I shall challenge them to a formal duel and settle things that way." Her tone of voice spoke volumes about which way she would prefer to settle things.
Poppy looked alarmed. "Eileen, are you sure that's wise? I mean, given who they are?"
Eileen said frostily, "I'm not afraid of them, Poppy, because they have ties to You-Know-Who. Have you forgotten that I too am a War Mage? My grandmother Sorcha fought dozens of duels against Grindelwald and his followers, I am not so different. These bastards dared to attack my husband for no reason except their own filthy pleasure! And for that they must pay—one way or another!"
A sudden gust of magic swirled about the room and Poppy shivered at the sheer power—and anger—it conveyed. She would not want to be in Dickon's attackers' shoes for all the gold in Gringotts.
"Mum, calm down." Severus said soothingly, laying a hand on her shoulder.
Eileen turned and hugged her tall son. "Oh, Sev. I always thought it would be me they might target, for it's common knowledge that I'm a War Mage. I never dreamed they'd go after my Dickon, who is no threat to them."
"Actually, Mum, Dickon's been helping Dumbledore to re-vamp school policies in regard to bullying and punishments for anyone caught hexing students for supporting or not supporting He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. So he might have been targeted for that alone. We won't know till we find who's responsible."
Eileen's eyebrows rose. "I . . . that's unexpected. My rebel astronomer." She looked again at her husband, and this time her smile was one of admiration. Her quiet Yorkshireman could still surprise her. Then she said, "Where is Dumbledore, Severus? I need to speak with him."
"In his office."
"I see. I'll need the password. Are there wards up here?"
"Yes. I put them up myself. Where's Jess?"
"I left her with Polly, having a tea party. I didn't want her to see her dad like this. I'll go and fetch her after I speak with Albus."
"I can do that," Severus said. "I'll owl my wife and tell her what's going on, she can watch Jess till I get home."
"Thank you, Severus."
"Any time, Mum. Will you be staying at the cottage or here in the castle?"
"I think it best if I stay here, to keep an eye on him and to be here when he wakes." Eileen said.
Severus nodded, then he gave her the new password, "Cauldron Cakes." He briefly considered telling her that Lily was expecting, but decided to wait until she had it out with Albus before revealing the good news. She was not in the right frame of mind to accept it right now. Later, when her worry over her husband and her anger at what had been done to him had eased, he would tell her.
"I will see you later," Eileen said, and then she strode out of the infirmary.
Poppy looked at the Potions Master. "If I were Albus, I'd hide under the desk."
"So would I," agreed Eileen's son.
ICICICICIC
When Albus Dumbledore woke that morning, he never thought he'd be facing an enraged War Mage. But when Eileen Marsh, formerly Snape, stormed into his office that afternoon, magic fairly crackling about her in bright blue and green sparks, as only a War Mage will do when she is at the edge of her control, the Headmaster's first instinct was to throw up a Shield Charm. He had expected the witch to be raging over her husband, but not to have that rage turned upon him.
He tried to deflect her fiery temper. "Why, Eileen, how nice to see you again!" He began, giving her one of his trademark smiles. "Would you care to sit down and have some tea? I'm terribly sorry about Dickon—"
"Save the platitudes, Albus!" she cut him off with a quick motion of her hand, her eyes still spitting sparks. She advanced upon him, and the air suddenly heated up. "I want to know how in Merlin's name my husband was attacked and no one knew about it, he could have died if not for Severus! After what happened years ago with Severus and those vicious bullies, who were expelled and later sued by me, one would think you'd have better security measures in place to deter this sort of thing from ever happening again. It was bad enough when it was Severus, a student, but now they're attacking teachers? What's next, a plot to assassinate you in your office?"
Dumbledore blinked as she leaned over his desk and glared at him. "My lady, I have no doubt that several of the Death Eater children wish me dead, but so far I have been lucky enough to avoid unpleasant confrontations."
"How wonderful for you," her voice dripped sarcasm. "But what about your staff? Or those students who simply wish to be left in peace to concentrate on their studies? This school should be a safe place, a haven. One shouldn't need to worry about setting a ward at your back in your own Astronomy Tower!"
"My lady, as I said, I'm terribly sorry about Dickon. He was the last person I expected to ever become a target, he is well-liked among the students and staff, and quite easy to get along with."
"Albus, if it happened to him, it could happen to any one of you. I warned you long ago, after Severus was nearly beaten to death, that you had to change your policy, that you needed to watch those Slytherins from suspected dark families and try and persuade them to turn away from their heritage and embrace the Light. Give them something better to strive for, so they didn't see only the dark path stretch before them. But I can see you didn't heed my advice. If you had, this never would have occurred."
"Eileen, we all make our own choices—"
"Yes, as adults we do. But not as children. As children we are told what to do by our parents and teachers, and our choices are only those we see before us. Children are taught to hate, it's not born in them. They learn from their parents. But you can counter that, Dumbledore. You have these children in your care from age eleven, nine months out of the year. If you truly wished, you could persuade them that such thinking was wrong. You could plant doubt in their hearts, and show them that the path of hatred leads only to destruction. Do you know how Voldemort gains so many converts? He promises them the deepest wishes of their hearts—power, influence, fame, and fortune. He tells them that he values them above all and they, who are desperate for love and recognition, they believe him. Why cannot you do the same? Or is it that you see Slytherins as a lost cause, doomed to darkness like so many others?"
"Eileen, it's war, and I have only so many hours in a day . . ."
"Damn you, Albus Dumbledore! Once again, my family pays the price for your fumbling about! If I didn't need you so badly to help me catch these wretches, I'd hex you to the moon!" exploded Eileen. Her wand was suddenly in her hand.
Dumbledore held up his hands slowly. "Please, Eileen, I have no wish to quarrel with you. We can work this out. Let us discuss this calmly, over some tea and cakes. There is no need to threaten me."
Her eyes narrowed. She took two deep breaths, let them out slowly . . .then she sheathed her wand in her sleeve. "Very well. We shall discuss this." Her voice was frosty. She forced herself to turn around and seat herself in the brocade chair in front of the fireplace, where a tea tray had been assembled. As she watched, the magical tea set poured tea in a cup for her, then a creamer approached and began pouring milk into the cup.
"When." Eileen murmured, and the creamer withdrew.
A sugar bowl walked across, and a set of silver sugar teeth grasped a lump of sugar and hovered over her cup. "Two, please."
Two lumps were duly deposited in the cup. Eileen reached for a spoon to stir and the sugar teeth snapped at her finger.
"Stop that!" Dumbledore chided, and tapped the teeth with his wand. They slunk away behind the teapot. "Forgive them, they are old and crochety." The tea set began to pour him tea as well, while Eileen's silver plate filled itself with assorted cakes and small sandwiches.
Eileen was reminded of the scones she and Jess had baked and hoped her daughter was having a good time with Polly. She sipped her tea, waited for her host to drink some as well, then said, "All right then. What shall you do if you discover the ones who assaulted my husband are among your students?"
"I shall expel them, of course. Once that is done, assuming they are of age, they can be arrested and sent to Azkaban."
Eileen nodded. "Or I may challenge them to Duel of Judgment."
"Yes, as a War Mage defending a family member, that is your right."
"How shall you ferret out these traitors in your midst?" she asked suddenly.
Albus frowned. "I . . .I have not yet figured that out."
"Perhaps I may suggest something. Casting Priori Incantatum upon their wands will reveal who cast certain spells against my husband, such as a Laceration spell, or an Incarcerus Charm. Several of his injuries were done with magic, so they should be easy to spot. You should do so, however, in a way that does not rouse suspicion. Gather all the students together in the hall, say for dinner, and announce that you wish to cast a special protective charm over their wands. Then have your Heads assist you in casting the real charm. That should reveal the attackers, if they are among the students."
"That's very clever, Eileen! I can see you've lost none of your Slytherin cunning."
Eileen smirked. "Of course not. However, cunning does not mean evil. I think you need to start controlling your students more, at least in regards to them using wands for things other than class. Dickon told me last year that you had started confiscating wands in the hallway for a time. May I suggest you implement that policy again? Students should have wands for class only and should be monitored by their House Heads when they practice outside of class or need them for homework. At other times, the wands should be kept in a safe place in your office. In this way, you can minimize the amount of mischief and damage a student can cause during their free time."
Dumbledore considered. "That may work. I shall take it under advisement."
Eileen didn't like the sound of that. "Albus, I give you fair warning. As you say, this is war, and you must get stricter in your policy. If my son or husband is injured again on your watch, I shall inform the Board and ask that they bring you up on charges of negligence. I would prefer not to do so, but if you force my hand . . . The other side plays for keeps. And so must we."
"I am not your enemy, Eileen."
"True. But my family comes first, and if you cannot protect your staff and students adequately, you need to find someone who can. It is your duty as Headmaster to provide a safe environment for children and teachers to work and learn in. Hogwarts was always a haven for me. Don't let You-Know-Who invade it and make it his own, even covertly." She rose gracefully to her feet. "I must go, my husband is probably awake by now. I shall spend the night, if you don't mind."
"You are always welcome here, Eileen."
"Thank you for tea, Headmaster." She quietly left, shutting the door behind her.
Albus breathed a sigh of relief. Facing down an angry War Mage was like confronting a nesting Hungarian Horntail, you took a chance on being roasted if you moved the wrong way. He had much to think about, for though he did not like to admit it, Eileen was right, he had been neglecting the school in favor of resolving certain problems for the Minister. But now that would have to change.
ICICICICIC
Hospital Wing:
Dickon opened his eyes to find Eileen peering down at him, her dark eyes filled with worry and love. He managed a smile in return, for seeing her made him feel a rush of warmth and love so great that he almost forgot the pain he was in. He still felt slightly dizzy when he turned his head a certain way, and his ear was throbbing and still leaking small amounts of fluid. He had a cotton ball inserted in it. He felt weak and feverish still, and even with the potions, all his muscles ached from the beating he had sustained.
However, he reached up and gently touched Eileen's face with three fingers. "Nah then, lass, 'tis naught but scrapes. Nowt t'worrit tha head about." He spoke in his native Yorkshire dialect, which he had mostly lost due to language tutors, since at school, several students had mocked him for his northern accent. But when he was stressed or wishing to convey strong emotion, he reverted back to his childhood cadence and vocabulary.
"Oh, Dickon!" Eileen whispered, her tone hoarse with grief. " 'Tis not naught! Thou almost died!" She also allowed a faint accent to creep into her speech, though hers had been learned from sneaking around to play with the village children as a girl. A single tear coursed down her pale cheek.
He caught it and brought it to his lips. "I'm still here, my love. 'Tis no time for tears, my canny warrior. I'll be well in a few days."
"I know. But I hate seeing you hurt. It makes want to go out and hex someone to pieces. Preferably the scum that did this to you." She declared, gently tracing his face with her fingertips. She would have kissed him, but didn't want to cause him more pain, since his lip was still swollen.
Dickon shifted slightly, and Eileen propped him up with some pillows. "Thank you, Eileen. Where's Jess?"
"With Polly, right now. But I'll go fetch her over to Hogsmeade later. She can stay with Sev tonight and I'll bring her to visit tomorrow."
"Aye, when I'm not such a fright," chuckled the astronomer, then he winced.
Severus appeared with some more potions, and administered the Ear Remedy again.
"Well, Sev, how's it look?" asked the astronomer afterwards.
"It's getting better, Dad." Severus said. After the second application, the eardrum had sealed partially and was starting to look less red and swollen. He had replaced the cotton ball with a fresh one, then given Dickon another Pain Reliever and Fever Reducer. He then asked if anyone were hungry, and upon receiving affirmatives from both parents had a house elf send up trays of food.
They ate lunch surrounding Dickon's bed, with Eclipse getting pieces of chicken and roast beef from Eileen and Severus as a reward for helping Dickon. Over lunch Severus considered if it were the best time to reveal Lily's pregnancy. He finally decided it could only lessen the tense and unhappy atmosphere. "Mum and Dad, I have some good news to share with you."
"Really? I could use some," Dickon said, sipping some water. "Let's have it then."
Severus lowered his voice and said, "Lily's expecting."
"Severus, that's wonderful!" Eileen cried, and smiled. "I've been waiting for months to hear those words. Great Merlin, Dickon! I'm going to be a grandma!"
"Congratulations, son." Dickon said, also smiling. "When will the wee tyke be born?"
"Ah . . .Lily thinks somewhere around late July or early August. She still needs to see an obstetric witch to confirm the dates. And Tuney is also expecting, close to the same time."
Eileen gaped. "Oh, my heavens! Polly's going to wear herself out, not knowing which she ought to visit first. Does she know yet?"
"About us? No. You're the first ones we've told, except for Arthur, who guessed it anyway from the morning sickness. I don't know if Tuney's told her mother yet."
"I'll keep quiet about it until I know that she knows, wouldn't want to ruin the surprise." Eileen promised. "I'm so excited! I'll have to take Lily shopping soon. Maybe all four of us could go."
"I'm sure that would be fine," Severus said, thinking it would give him time alone with Dickon to discuss certain things about fatherhood. "Oh, and I went and fetched Jess from the Evanses. She's with Lily now, and I'm sure she's trying to explain about the baby."
"Jess loves them. When we go for an outing in the park, Jess likes to go up to anyone with a pram and peek at their baby and talk to them. She calls them "wee things", the little minx! She'll be jumping for joy to have a wee thing of her own."
They all had a good laugh over that, and some of the oppressive atmosphere was dispelled for a little. "How did your talk with Dumbledore go?" asked Severus cautiously.
Eileen told him that she had gotten the Headmaster to agree to using Prior Incantatum on all the students' wands as a means of discovering the culprits. She also told them about her suggestion to confiscate students' wands except for class and homework. Both professors agreed that would probably solve most of their problems with duels and hexing in the hallways and on the grounds.
"When we find whoever did this, I'm going to chop them up and use them for potion ingredients," growled Severus.
"Not before I hex them first," Eileen insisted. "I'll hex them into bits and pieces and then it's your turn, Severus."
Dickon just shook his head. "What a pair of bloodthirsty savages you are!"
"Only when it comes to protecting my husband."
"Or my father." Severus added. Then he asked slyly, "What would you do to them, if you caught them, Dad?"
The astronomer was silent for several minutes. "I'd . . . ah . . ."
"Come on, tell!" his son ordered.
"Ah . . .I send them on a one way trip to the dark side of the moon," he admitted.
"So, we have death by dismemberment, suffocation, and boiling," Eileen said, ticking off the methods on her fingers. "I'd say we're a positively medieval family when it comes to justice."
"I'd have to agree," Dickon said. "And I have no regrets about being a part of it." Then he drew his wife into a brief embrace.
Eileen hugged him back, careful of his still tender ribs, and kissed him gently on the cheek. "I love you, stargazer."
"I love you too, my pretty apothecary."
Severus glanced away to give them a bit of privacy, relieved that this crisis had not lessened his parents affection for one another one bit. If anything, they seemed to draw strength from the other.
After a moment, they drew apart, and a good thing too, for Arthur and several other students burst into the infirmary, bearing gifts and cards for Dickon, who was very popular among them and all the students seemed horrified that anyone could harm their favorite professor. Word had spread very quickly about the school due to a sick Ravenclaw, Olivia Hart, who had been in the Hospital Wing recovering from a bout of bronchitis when Dickon had been brought in by Severus. Poppy had released her that afternoon and she had wasted no time spreading the dreadful news about Professor Marsh.
The girls oohed and ahhed over poor Dickon's face and wanted to kill whoever had done this to their teacher also. The boys agreed, but they now had a greater respect for the astronomy teacher for having survived such a punishment. Some of the students had brought cards, others sweets from Honeydukes, and one girl shyly handed Dickon a potted shooting star cactus. The cactus would shoot off colored beams of light when placed near a window at midnight, and she said she thought Dickon would like it.
"Thank you, Susan. It's a lovely gift." Dickon said, quite touched by his students' generosity and compassion. "Thank you all."
"Professor, when will you be back in class?" asked Arthur, who loved Astronomy and hated to miss a lesson.
"Ah . . . as soon as my ear heals and Madam Pomfrey allows me out of bed. I think another few days will be sufficient."
Arthur groaned. "But, sir! Who will teach us until then?"
"I am sure the Headmaster will secure you a substitute till then, lad." Dickon reassured him.
"But it won't be the same!" moaned another girl.
"It's a rum deal," muttered a blond boy.
"Now, children." Dickon frowned at them. "There's naught to be done about it, so you'll just have to accept it. As soon as I'm able, I'll be teaching you equations and having you count the moons about Saturn again, as well as quizzing you on how the constellations positions affect your magic at certain times of the year. But for now, I have to rest. I'm told it's the best medicine for what ails me."
With that, Poppy and Severus gently shooed them out of the infirmary, though Arthur paused and told Severus he would visit Dickon every day after class until he was better, bringing him copies of the Prophet and some wizarding astronomer magazines.
"I think he'd like that, don't you?"
"Yes. That's very thoughtful of you, Art," said the Potions Master. "Now run along to your next class before I take ten points for not obeying a professor."
Arthur scurried out the door then, calling out, "Bye, Professor Marsh! See you later!"
"Why, Dickon! I never knew you had a fan club," teased his wife.
To her delight, Dickon turned a rose color and looked down at his hands. "They were just being kind."
"Sure they were," Severus snorted.
"Hush, Sev!" Dickon ordered, embarrassed. Then he yawned and rubbed his eyes, he was drowsy.
Severus left soon after that as well, he was weary too, and wanted nothing more than a bath and a nap and to see his small sister, who was probably waiting anxiously for him to come home.
The next morning, Severus and Jess walked up to the castle to see Dickon, Severus having owled ahead and made sure Dickon was up to seeing his daughter before setting out. At first, Jess insisted upon walking next to him "like a big girl", but then her short little legs grew tired and she whined for Severus to carry her.
"Pick me up, Sevvy!"
Severus looked down at the curly headed mischief maker. "Is that the way you ask for a favor, young miss?"
Jess bit her lip. "Umm . . .no-o-o."
"How do you ask?"
"Please pick me up, Sevvy."
"Much better!" He lifted her in his arms and set her astride his shoulders. She loved being carried way up there and giggled in delight.
Luckily there were hardly any students awake at eight o'clock, and so Severus' reputation was not shot to blazes. He was known as a strict, no-nonsense professor, though not unfair. But if anyone ever saw him carrying a little girl on his shoulders, and allowing her not only to scream in his ear, but tug his hair into the bargain . . .
They arrived at the Hospital Wing without being spotted by any early risers, and Severus set Jess down so she could run up to Dickon's bed.
"Daddy! Daddy!"
She barreled across the room and flung herself onto Dickon's lap. "I missed you so much! Are you all better now?"
Dickon concealed a wince, but reached out and hugged his baby girl to him. "Almost, little imp. But you need to be quiet in the Hospital Wing, lass."
"How come?"
"Because people are sick and need their rest."
"What people?" Jess looked around. "There's only you in here, Daddy. Oh, and Mummy too." She spotted Eileen, who was asleep on a camp bed.
"Yes, but you still need to use an inside voice, Jess. Understand?"
"Yes."
"Good. Now, tell me what you've been doing while I was away."
Jess obliged him, telling about her tea with Mrs. Polly, and baking with Eileen, and several other amusing little incidents that made her father laugh. "But I missed counting the stars with you, Daddy. And you reading about Stargirl and the Magic Carpet."
That was a character Dickon had made up to teach her a few things about basic astronomy. Stargirl went on many adventures through the galaxy on her magic carpet and saw many different celestial bodies, her stories were full of information as well as being fun to listen to.
Dickon kissed the top of her head. "I know, little one. I'm sorry I'm away so much."
"Will you tell me a story now, Dad? Please?" she begged, looking at him with her huge eyes.
"Jess, I think Dad's tired, he's still sick," Severus began.
"No, it's all right. I have one story still in me," Dickon reassured him. He felt guilty that his job kept him away from his daughter so much, and he loved spending time with her whenever he could. "Are you ready to hear Stargirl's next adventure?"
Jess clapped her hands. "Yay!"
"All right. Hush your tongue and put your listening ears on." Dickon told her. "One day Stargirl hopped on her magic carpet and decided she was going to visit the Andromeda Galaxy, which was very very far away, because she had heard of a rare blooming nightflower on a planet there. She need some nightflower for a healing potion to help her sick old dad get well . . ."
Jess leaned her curly dark head upon her father's shoulder as Dickon talked, making a beautiful tableau, and Severus wished he had a camera handy so he could capture it. There were times his little sister could try his patience to the limit and others, like this, when she was simply too adorable to resist. I wonder if my own will be anything like her? I just hope my son or daughter doesn't inherit her stubbornness or my temper. Wait, Lily has a temper too. Blast! Oh well, one can hope the baby takes after Polly.
He leaned back in his chair, listening to Dickon's deep voice telling Jess about Stargirl outrunning Scorpio's poison stinger and hiding behind Casseopeia's throne and he prayed that he could learn to be as good a father as Richard Marsh. Lily would be by later on, she was still suffering bouts of morning sickness, and so couldn't visit early in the morning, but she was determined to visit once her stomach quit rebelling. Severus had given her raspberry leaf tea with ginger and told her to rest, then had taken Jess up to the castle. Later on that evening, Dumbledore would put the scheme concocted by Eileen into practice, and Severus hoped it would work as planned. But for now, he was content to spend these few precious hours with his family, who remained strong despite the crisis they were going through. He could only hope they remained so.
Please forgive me if I made any mistakes with Dickon's accent or vocabulary, as I'm American, and only have a Yorkshire online dictionary to consult, so no offense!
However, there are a few misconceptions I need to clear up about certain characters.
1) Walburga—yes, she does have prejudices, BUT that does not mean she cannot change and grow. Cindy is a half-blood and Reg loves her, so Walla will for the sake of her son, set aside her prejudices and learn to get along with her son's wife.
2) Jess's Floo experience—yes, she really could have gotten lost in limbo because she's 3 and if she spoke a totally garbled word and the magic could not figure out what she meant, would not have been able to send her anywhere and so she would have been stuck inbetween places and even though you can track someone by Floo, it'd be really hard to track a kid that's never arrived at a destination. And how would you get her out? So it really was dangerous for Jess to use the Floo.
3) Arthur—there have been several reviewers who seem to think Arthur is either a replacement for Harry or a clone of him. That is not true. Arthur has his own place in this story and an important role to play in it. Harry will be born in this story, but I won't reveal who his parents are at this time. The only thing A has in common with canon Harry is that they are both orphans and Gryffindors. Arthur's loss has more of an impact upon him because he is 11 and has lost not only his parents, but his little sisters, while Harry can barely remember his parents and had no siblings to mourn. Arthur is meant to represent innocence lost, and also hope for Lily and Sev, that they can save ONE child from the horrors of war instead of watching them die, and show their willingness to defy the Dark Lord. He's meant to be a tragic and sympathetic character and if you're not getting that maybe I'm not doing a good enough job as a writer and will try harder.