Calm Before The Storm

(_)(_)(_)

1973

It was truly surprising and a little disheartening what one could consider 'business as usual', Cedrella reflected as she waited for the train to arrive at the start of the Yule break, standing next to Septimus.

The school year had started out well. The kids took a page out of the book the elder Marauders had worked from, and had ensured that between the four of them, they had all the elective classes covered (except for Divination). Remus and Severus, being by far the most studious of the four, had both taken Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Care of Magical Creatures. Sirius had taken Muggle Studies and Care of Magical Creatures, while James had taken Muggle Studies and Arithmancy.

By all accounts the year had started well. Then, around Samhain, Regulus had abruptly fallen apart at the seams for no apparent reason.

Regulus, who was a year behind Sirius, had until now seemed to have avoided any unfortunate consequences due to inbreeding. Granted, Arcturus and the rest of them had never stopped keeping an eye out for any instability, given that Sirius had problems, but he'd seemed fine enough. His collapse had surprised them all. Cedrella was just grateful that his Head of House, Pomona Sprout, had caught it so fast and had called Arcturus in.

Arcturus had been forced to resort to pulling Regulus out of Hogwarts in an effort to get him stabilized - Regulus had been dangerously close to not just thinking about but *acting on* suicide. Poppy was one of the best at fixing physical damage, but the sort of problem Regulus was having was far beyond her knowledge and skill.

Cedrella was still torn between immense amusement and not a little horror every time she contemplated the reaction House Black at large had had when Regulus got Sorted into Hufflepuff. There had been horrified outrage when Sirius had Sorted Gryffindor - it just wasn't the done thing for a Black, after all. Until Sirius, Blacks had mostly Sorted Slytherin, with the occasional Ravenclaw thrown in for flavor. Even she had had to check her initial reaction when Sirius had Sorted Gryffindor, despite knowing the lad quite well and thus *knowing* there was no chance in hell he'd go Slytherin.

But as bad as Gryffindor was in House Black eyes, Hufflepuff was worse. Gryffindor, well - Sorting there meant you had a want of wit and cunning. Sorting Hufflepuff meant that you may as well be a Squib. Because Hufflepuff took the dregs of magic-kind. Or, that had been House Black's take on it. As a result, they had collectively had an apoplexy. A few of the more militant had actually had the temerity to write or floo Arcturus and demand that Regulus be disowned. One had actually dared to suggest, if in a roundabout, veiled way, that Regulus be *killed*.

Dumbledore had not been pleased with Regulus being removed. He'd tried to argue that Poppy could treat Regulus. Arcturus hadn't been amused by Dumbledore's interference in the least, and had threatened to remove not just Regulus, but *all* Black-born children currently attending Hogwarts and to decree that no Black would attend Hogwarts in the future, in his capacity as Head of House. Having House Black educate their children elsewhere despite living in the UK would have been a horrible blow to Hogwarts' reputation. Dumbledore had promptly folded and allowed Regulus' removal for treatment.

Ironically enough, Regulus' collapse had brought the two brothers a lot closer. They hadn't hated each other, but neither had they had the sort of bond Sirius enjoyed with the other 'young' Marauders. Sirius had taken to writing Regulus several times a day when Regulus had been taken out of Hogwarts. Sirius, having lived with mental instability and the resultant potion doses (and changes in potions) since he was a toddler, could and apparently did reassure Regulus that it was possible to live a normal life, and that it wasn't always going to be as bad as it was right then. Regulus, in turn, used Sirius as a sounding board for things he felt he couldn't talk about to the adults around him, or so they all hoped. Arcturus had encouraged the whole thing, and had not attempted to oversee or interfere. The only thing he'd done was to ask Sirius to tell him if Regulus started talking about committing suicide in their letters, so that such a thing could be prevented.

Two months into treatment, and Regulus was doing much better. He was stable enough that Arcturus was seriously considering letting him return to Hogwarts after the Yule break. Regulus was a bit hesitant, but that was understandable, given the reasons behind why he had left, and how long he'd been gone. His Housemates would doubtlessly ask questions that he would be uncomfortable answering. At least he hadn't fallen behind in his schooling while he'd been gone. Pomona had insured that Regulus got the homework assignments that were handed out, and Arcturus and the elder Marauders had been able to instruct Regulus sufficiently.

The thing was that, other than the initial moments of alarm when Regulus' collapse was reported, it had essentially been 'business as usual' where Regulus' mental health was concerned. The same was true for the continuing attacks on Muggles as performed by Voldemort and his followers.

They were all keeping a careful eye on that, but there was literally nothing they could do. They had no way to predict Voldemort's movements. They couldn't even ask the house elves, because that would alert the house elves of Voldemort's followers, and they might inform their masters that other house elves had been asking way too many questions.

Worse, even if they could have predicted where Voldemort would strike next, there still wasn't a damn thing they could do about it. It was still being dismissed as 'muggle troubles' by virtually all and sundry. If they'd dared to try to fight Voldemort and his followers off, it would have been the Marauders that got into trouble. Business as usual.

The only thing that wasn't business as usual were the reports from the non-UK Weasleys. The only Weasleys that lived in magical communities but were not reporting worrying congregating of undesirable elements were those in the United States, where such things had a harder time finding a foothold thanks to the equality laws and the fact that most of the families that lived there had fled Europe in general and the UK in particular *because* of the bigotry and prejudice.

The entirety of the Weasley, Longbottom, and Black families were preparing for war. Unfortunately, Arcturus and Alphard excepted, the Black family adults were largely on Voldemort's side. So were many of the teens, though it was beginning to look like Andromeda at least was following Sirius and Regulus' lead when it came to defying the family stereotype.

If the younger Marauders were right, she was actually dating a Muggleborn Hufflepuff on the quiet. Though how she was managing that, Cedrella dearly wanted to know. Andromeda had, after all, followed the bulk of the family into Slytherin. Harfang and Callidora, who had flaunted the 'accepted' in-school dating rules themselves, were both highly amused. Come to that, so were the rest of them. Arcturus had commented that if they were still dating come graduation, or if they were exposed and stuck together, he'd ensure they had the means and opportunity to continue despite any objection Andromeda's parents might have.

Cedrella knew in her bones that they were running out of time. Voldemort would hold off only so much longer. He'd *have* to act, openly or covertly, against the magical world soon. Every indication they had said that his power base was more or less complete and ready.

She cut off her internal musings as the Hogwarts train arrived. The station was shortly a chaotic hive of activity. Despite that, the kids found them pretty quickly. Cedrella gave Remus, the first one to find them, an affectionate hair-ruffle, which made him grin at her before he hugged his parents, who were standing next to Cedrella and Septimus, and had been invited to Weasley Cottage for the Yule break and celebrations.

Unfortunately, it was looking like Eileen would not be attending most of the fun this year. She was still alive, but she was clinging to life by her fingernails, and in no condition to weather the sort of energy and chaos and excitement that was an inevitable result when you had close to thirty people in and out of the house at all times of the day and night. More and more these days, Eileen was finding it difficult to merely sit up in bed, never mind anything more strenuous than that. She would be staying at Longbottom Manor with the redoubtable Augusta Longbottom, as the Manor had been decreed the better place for an invalid to stay in peace. That said, there were plans to ensure that Severus spent as much time with her as he wanted to, and if Eileen found the energy to hang out at the Cottage for a bit, she'd be more than welcome.

Thankfully, in the wake of Harfang gaining guardianship of Severus and pulling both him and Eileen out of that hellhole, Severus and Eileen had patched up some of the holes in their relationship. Severus was no longer as bitterly angry with Eileen as he had been. It would make her death all the harder for Severus to bear, but at least he would not have the bitter regret of being estranged from her when she finally lost her battle with death. And at least now, her death wouldn't come as a horrible shock. Severus knew it was coming, and soon. Cedrella was honestly worried that Eileen wouldn't make it to the new year.

As if thinking of him had summoned him, Severus arrived next, giving everyone a nod and a reserved and quiet but truly happy smile. He was never going to be boisterous and outgoing, Cedrella knew. That said, he was doing much better than he had been before the guardianship. He actually smiled and laughed these days. Better, he had stopped flinching away from people in general and men in particular when he got startled. He wasn't even flinching around Septimus anymore, though he did still watch Septimus with wary eyes.

Lily, as was the norm, was hot on his heels and gave a far more boisterous greeting even as she tugged Severus right into the middle of the gathering, rather than letting him lurk on the outskirts. Severus permitted it with a fond, exasperated eye-roll. Lily too was improving. Thanks to having to worry less about Severus, she was slowly becoming a touch less militant about his safety and happiness. She still kept a careful eye on him, and was quick to jump to his defense, but she was beginning to relax.

James and Sirius arrived moments later, arm in arm, wearing mischievous grins and bouncing like they were on a sugar high - which was entirely possible. Sirius more or less literally glomped Regulus, which got the first real laugh any of them have heard out of Regulus since his collapse. Which was probably what Sirius was aiming for, if the triumphant look on his face is anything to go by. The two boys got in a friendly mock-wrestling match for a few moments. Cedrella was delighted to see Regulus so light-hearted after the last two months of wild and mostly negative mood swings.

Everyone gathered, all trunks and pets accounted for, they trooped to the apparation point and headed for their various homes. Cedrella knew they'd be seeing everyone soon enough, but the next few days were for gift-shopping and that required that they not all be together, lest they be able to discover what gifts they'd be getting and spoil the fun.

Cedrella was looking forward to this Christmas for Remus' sake. They'd replaced almost all of his very worn, secondhand clothes and school things, save for a couple sets of clothes to play in without having to worry. That said, this would be the first Christmas where Remus would both be getting - and able to give - more than one or two cheap presents. Not that any of them were going overboard, but still. His parents just seemed to be relieved that they had reliable help for their son. They'd not been blind to what Remus' future would probably have been like, without the Weasleys sponsoring him. Being a werewolf meant living a parlous hand-to-mouth existence in the UK and most of Europe.

And people wondered why werewolves would flock to the banner of someone who was clearly evil. All said evil person had to do was fake a concern for werewolves and promise better living and they'd have werewolves all but falling over themselves to join their cause.

Sometimes the willful, blind ignorance and stupidity of the magical world really burned Cedrella up. Yes, bastards like that Fenrir Greyback needed to be controlled, or better yet put down. One bad apple did not mean the entire bushel was rotten however. Punishing everyone for the transgressions of a few was foolhardy in the extreme. Cedrella shook those thoughts off with an effort, and got to work making dinner. Thankfully, Molly would arrive early in the morning the day after everyone's shopping was done to lend her expertise in feeding the hordes that would overtake the Cottage, and of course Jinx would be assisting with the cooking and the cleaning as well. Otherwise Cedrella would never be able to keep up.