Answers and Questions
Kanda looked up from his pepper up potion as Severus left his own cauldron to answer the door.
"Walker. I presume you want Kanda"
"Oh actually I wanted to talk to you"
"Oh? That is a surprise. I won't be a moment"
Kanda's curiosity was piqued as Snape came in looking just as confused as he felt before cleaning up his desk and handing the rest of the list to Kanda.
"Could you finish these? Whatever Walker wants to talk about seems urgent. Do you have an idea what he'd want?" Severus asked and Kanda could only shrug. Snape repeated the movement before heading out of the lab and into the main sitting room.
Kanda wasn't wholly truthful. As he began the second potion on the list, he silently worried. Allen had seemed really focused on his curse recently. Kanda knew it had hit the younger man hard when the war was won, the Earl defeated, but his curse had stayed. Had he not atoned enough? Was he still a villain in his father's eyes? What did he have to do to rid himself of this reminder of his sin? It riddled Allen's dreams and was one of the main reasons for his nightmares.
Deciding to give the pair some privacy, Kanda charmed the old radio to play louder to mask any conversation. Severus or Allen would probably tell him about it later anyway, that he was sure of.
About an hour later, Snape reentered the lab and Kanda waved his wand, lowering the radio volume back to normal.
"Hand me that recipe, the one for Wolfsbane" Severus commanded and Kanda handed it over,
"He's decided then?" Kanda asked and Severus sighed before nodding, scanning the notes in front of him.
"He has indeed. The least I can do is try and make the transition and condition as safe as possible." Severus accepted and Kanda smiled,
"You're a good man Severus"
Snape looked up from the paper and raised an eyebrow but didn't comment, though Kanda could see the small smile playing on the man's lips.
"Is he off to ask Lupin formally now?" Kanda asked him and Severus sighed,
"Well, more tell him from the tone of his conversation. I told him that I couldn't stop him but Lupin could - he didn't seem to agree" Snape added wryly. Kanda rolled his eyes, that boy was definitely brazen enough but he knew that he wouldn't press too hard if Lupin said no.
"Well hopefully everything goes well. When's the next full moon?"
"Next week"
"Not long to wait at least" Kanda lightly grimaced and noticed Snape doing the same.
"There is that. Now that I've allowed for the creation of another furry problem, we should probably add more calming ingredients to this concoction. What do you think about this?"
Severus passed the amended recipe to Kanda who scanned the altered measurements and temperatures and nodded,
"That should give them more control over their mind. But since they'll be more aware, why don't we add this for more pain relief? This one shouldn't react with anything else unlike other options" Kanda added his own scrawl to the paper and Severus smiled and dropped a kiss on his head making the apprentice look up.
"This could just work" he admitted and Kanda beamed.
"Miss Lee"
Lenalee stopped shuffling her tarot cards and turned towards the door, meeting the eyes of Sirius Black.
"Please, call me Lenalee. What can I do for you?" she asked as she stood from the table and headed towards the man.
"You know of Walker's plan?" he got straight to the point and Lenalee swallowed before looking down with a nod.
"It's something he's been contemplating for a while and since it coincides with the prophecy, he agreed that this is a safer option"
"Do you see if it will go well?" he asked quietly, meaning her visions. Lenalee sighed,
"I've tried scrying, tarot, tea leaves, astral walking. And every time I get close to a vision, something stops me"
Sirius frowned,
"Something? Like what?"
"Green eyes."
"Harry?" Sirius had only just started to get close to the boy who had been quite standoffish after finding out about the activities of the Marauders - he didn't want something to suddenly happen to the lad. He frowned when Lenalee shook her head,
"I thought it was Harry too at first but - they're much older and I don't think they were human. And then there was the voice with the same message every time. A voice that was somehow gravelly and light at the same time"
Sirius was starting to sweat as he pieced together the information she was giving him with certain passages from certain books in the Black library.
"What - what was the message?"
"Only the Lotus can meet with the Forest - I have no idea what that means. But I'm worried about the Lotus"
"What about a Lotus?" he tilted his head like a canine and Lenalee bit her lip lightly,
"The first thing that Lotus brings to mind is Kanda"
"Kanda? You mean Sni-Severus's boyfriend?" Sirius asked and Lenalee gave a small smile at the term.
"And my brother Sirius. I - I know he's tough - jeez he's probably the strongest out of all of us - but he's been like my brother for years. I don't know what I'd do if I lost him to this 'Forest'." her lip began to wobble as her eyes swam with tears.
"The war is over - I can't lose him again" and she burst into heavy sobs. Sirius acted on instinct and gathered the young Seer into his arms as she cried over her fears. The sounds from her cries tugged on his heart strings and he pulled her closer to him, rubbing her back as she rested her head on his shoulder, thin shaky arms circling his waist.
"I could -" Sirius started and Lenalee peered up at him, making him flush slightly,
"I could see if I can find any information on things that interfere with prophecies. My family library is old and, with the amount of bizarre majicks found there, I'll most likely find something useful" he offered and Lenalee sniffed and lent back, but made no move to release him,
"You'd do that for me? Don't you hate your house?"
Sirius gave a half-hearted shrug,
"I'd say that this is a worthy cause"
Lenalee beamed at him, hugging him close, thanking him profusely before he headed off.
"Was that Sirius Black at our door?" Trelawney asked as she headed over to Lenalee with two cups of herbal tea. Lenalee nodded, accepting the cup,
"He said he might be able to find books relating to these eyes I've been seeing in my visions." she admitted happily. Trelawney smirked,
"Well, I'm glad you seem to bring out a passion in him" and her grin grew as the poor apprentice flushed a bright red and hid her face in her cup.