Fidelius
At dinner Sev told Lily the big news about their positions as teachers.
She thought, He's not as happy as he should be, something else has happened. Let's see if he tells me. "Wow, Sev, you got it. In less than two weeks."
"Yes, Lily, everything is going well for us. Too much. We don't have to confide."
"I understand what you mean. It is the vertigo that brings good luck. Everything can go wrong when you least expect it, as it happened to us when we entered Hogwarts."
"That is."
"Don't eat your head, take things as they come," she advised.
"I'll try."
He is very listless. I will ask. "I feel you discouraged. Has something bad happened?"
"No, Lily, quite the opposite," he replied. "Something so good has happened to me that I regret not having done it all these years."
I have no idea what he may mean, I'm going to ask him. "Oh... and what was it?"
Sev thought, I don't feel like continuing to tell good things with the mood I have, I've spoiled the news for Lily enough, I'll tell her another time. "I prefer not to talk about it now, I don't feel like talking much, I need to be alone."
I'm going to leave him alone, he will tell me another time, Lily thought. "Sure, Sev, whatever you want."
"Ask Remus if he wants to meet tonight to help him cast the Fidelius."
Oh, with how exhausted he is, and he still goes to stay up late. "Leave it for another day, Sev."
"No. I want to do it before Albus has his Map. I'm going to conjure Lauren's as well. Ask him."
Now that I've stopped being stubborn, he's becoming. It's one of his characteristics. "Okay, Sev, I'll ask him and I'll tell you."
Lily spoke to Cecile out loud, "Cecile, ask Remus if he wants to meet with Sev tonight to cast the Fidelius for you both."
"Sure, right now I'm telling him," her friend replied.
Meanwhile, Sev was asking Jack, "Will you accompany me to the Room of Requirement after dinner?"
"Of course, Prince, I already told you that whenever you want."
"Thank you, Jack."
Jack has also noticed that I'm broken down. Let's see if I recover before the talk with the Quidditch team. He continued eating without speaking.
Cecile told Lily, "Remus says yes."
Lily thought, Great, if Sev spends some time with Remus, even if he makes the sacrifice of staying up late, he'll perk up.
Lily projected to Sev, "Remus agrees. How will you meet?"
"At one o'clock at the Gryff door, I'll wait for him Disillusioned until he comes out."
"Okay, Sev, I'm telling him."
"Talk to Lauren if you want and let her tell you the rest of the news. We'll continue tomorrow at breakfast."
"Okay, honey. See you tomorrow."
Sev thought, I am emotionally exhausted. I'm going to take a break tomorrow. A good nap in the afternoon, I'll invite Ariel to my room and I'll read the Muggle book, have him explain to me the things I don't understand. He continued to eat in silence.
Meanwhile, Lily was thinking, I'm going to talk to Lauren, even though I don't want her to tell me things, I want the three of us to talk, but at least find out if she knows anything about what's going on with Sev. Let's see how she is.
She projected to her, "Hello honey. How are you?"
"Great, Lily. Has Sev told you the news?" the Sly girl asked.
Lauren is doing great, she doesn't know that Sev isn't well either. I'm going to tell her what he told me. Lily did so and concluded, "But I have noticed him very discouraged. Was he already like this in the afternoon?"
"No, he was not at all. This afternoon he was great."
Lauren is doing great, I can talk openly with her, Lily thought. "He told me that it was because something so good had happened to him that he regretted not having done it all these years. Has he told you what it was?"
"Yes, Lily, I know what he was referring to. He has started broomstick flying classes."
"Oh…"
"Don't worry, sweetie, he'll get over it," Lauren reassured her. "He just needs to be alone, he's had a very intense day."
"Yes, that's what he told me." We are both crying already. I hope Sev doesn't notice that Lauren is doing it.
"Do you want to continue chatting? There is much more good news. I can tell you."
"I prefer to wait to talk about it between the three of us, Lauren. Right now I don't feel like talking much, really. I'm sorry."
"Okay, sweetie, but don't suffer. He's strong, he'll get over it."
"We'll talk tomorrow, Lauren."
"Sure, beautiful."
Cecile realized that Lily was crying. She took her by her shoulders and whispered in her ear, "Any bad news, Lily?"
"No, Cecile, I'll tell you later at home."
"Okay, tell me later."
The three of them continued to eat in silence. Sev was thinking, (I have to do my best to get over it, I can't go down over something like that. I've worried Lily and I'm sure Lauren, too, who was counting on talking to both of us about how my afternoon had gone. And Jack, and maybe even Cecile and Remus, if Lily tells them anything.
(And tonight I have a lot to do and tomorrow training. I can't change what I did wrong in the past, the lost years, I have to look forward and try to enjoy what I have now. The people who love me do everything possible so I don't sink and I can't let them down.
('I'll never play Quidditch, but I'm still going to have a great time learning to fly and training for war. Who would have told me that military training could be fun? I have a great time training and also flying on a broom. How lucky we are witches. I'm much better now. I'm going to chat with them so they don't go to sleep worried.)
He projected to them, "What's up, girls?"
"Wow, Sev, you're already more animated," Lily replied.
"I am. It has given me to eat my head for not having been a Quidditch player. You see what nonsense." (They don't answer me. They have talked to each other and have been worried.)
"Have you been flying, Sev?" Lily asked.
Sev laughed. (Lily pretending, how cute.) "Yes, honey, and watching the Sly team train."
"And how have you been?"
(Only Lily speaks, Lauren has a harder time recovering.) He told her, and shortly afterward Lauren entered the conversation as well, and the three of them continued until they finished dinner. He left the Great Hall before them.
Lauren projected to Lily, "It seems that he is better now, but I don't trust, Lily."
"Lauren, he's okay. I know him, he's over it."
"I don't know, Lily, I don't stay calm. Can you do me a favor?"
"Of course, Lauren, whatever you want."
"Take a berry. If I take it I won't know if it's him or Jack who suffers, because I haven't been with Jack since Monday."
Lily thought, Oh, we still haven't talked about the berries or Jack since before the mess. And she hasn't been with Jack since she spent that blessed quarter hour with Sev, he fills her up so much more. Of course I'm going to, otherwise she's going to suffer until she sees him again tomorrow. "Sure, Lauren, I'll go up to my house and take it. See you at the Library and I'll tell you." I should always carry one with me. I will from now on.
Sev broke away from his escort out of the Hall and went up with only Jack to the Room of Requirement. They hardly spoke on the way. (Jack is still worried about me and he's also down again because he hasn't seen Lauren since Monday. When we get to the Room we'll talk for a while.
(I'll let him talk first, I can't slip secrets, maybe he'll confide in me. Hopefully, it would be a first step to establish a good relationship between everyone. If he talks openly to me, I will too. I haven't done anything compromising with Lauren.)
They reached the piano classroom. Jack walked past, Sev behind him, as the door closed, Jack turned. "Brother, give me a hug." They gave each other a long, warm hug.
(Merlin, how I love him. We are both about to cry. I hope he tells me about Lauren, I hope…)
"The flight hasn't suited you very well, has it?" asked his friend.
"At first, no, Jack, but it's over now, it was nonsense."
"I understand you. Time wasted."
"That is. But I'm much better now, we have to look ahead," Sev said. "I'm going to have a great time learning now too."
"Of course, in summer you come home whenever you want to practice."
"Sure, Jack, I'll do that. At Cokeworth I can't."
"We're going to have a great time. We will also invite Andrew and Valerie, she will teach you a lot."
"It would be nice if you tried to teach them Occlumency if you have time, Jack, between now and the end of the term, to take them to the fir tree and Bond with them too."
"Of course, Prince, glad to do it."
(He's cheering me up and he's not talking about his stuff at all. And Lauren couldn't appoint him at dinner, because the three of us have been talking to each other, although maybe at first. I'm going to suggest that he go to the Library, if they haven't been able to do it.)
Sev broke away from him. "Jack, go study for a while and then come to pick me up at ten."
"What are you saying? I stay with you. I want to hear 'Wish you were here' a thousand times."
(She must have appointed him by now. Great.)
Sev prepared the piano to play. Jack settled into the chair by the small desk.
Meanwhile, Lily and Lauren were going home to get their stuff to study. Cecile didn't ask her anything on the way. When they went up to their bedroom, she asked her, "What happened, Lily? Why did you cry at dinner?"
"Today Sev had his first broomstick flying class and he was very sad for not having done it for all these years," Lily answered. I'm about to cry again.
"Oh, honey, give me a hug."
They hugged.
"Thank you, Cecile. Then it seems that he was better, but I don't trust him, he is the king of dissimulation. I'm going to take a berry." I know he's okay, I'm doing it for Lauren, but before Cecile I have to be the queen of dissimulation too.)
"Sure, do it."
Lily took the berry. What I told you, not a trace of bitterness.
"How about?" asked Cecile.
"Incredible, he is perfectly. He's better in less than half an hour." He was better in less than ten minutes.
"He is extraordinary."
"Indeed, one in a million. Let's go to the Library?" Lily asked.
"Sure, let's go."
They got ready to go and went down to the Common Room. Remus and Frank were already waiting for them. Alice hadn't come up with them, she had gone straight to her Occlumency class with Dumbledore. On the way, Lily held Remus back and let Cecile and Frank lead. "Remus, at one o'clock Sev is coming to look for you at the Gryff door, think about where you want the Fidelius."
"Brilliant. How I want to see him," Remus replied.
"And he you, sure." Me too. It's good that I'll see him tomorrow in training.
They arrived. Lauren was already there, a couple of benches in front of where they sat, apparently concentrating. As soon as they sat down and Lily pretended that she was studying, she projected to her, "Lauren, Sev is perfectly fine. Not a trace of bitterness."
"Good, Lily, what a relief."
Indeed what a relief, and she doesn't care Jack, I want to take the opportunity for her to talk to me about him and the berries, since she has brought up the subject before. "Have you had any berries since you've been with Jack?"
"No, Lily. I already told you that I was going to save them for the summer."
"Well, you should, to know if his flavor has become more intense now that you are together."
"Yeah…"
I'm going to convince her. She has to do it. "Do it Lauren, the next time you're with him. Nothing happens for one, you have a few more left."
"Okay, Lily, I will."
I believe her, she has answered immediately. "Take as much as you need. Sev can give you his and I'll give him mine in the summer. Make sure Jack loves and accepts you. Please read the description of the magical effect again."
She does not answer me, she is already thinking about the subject. She hadn't stopped to think about it, Jack doesn't accept her as she is. But I can't talk about this to Sev. Not now, with everything he has on him. He just needs to worry about Lauren too, after last week. And all I need is for me to think about it too. I don't care for nothing, to study. We have already made things very clear to her.
Meanwhile, Sev played 'Wish you were here' over and over again. (Great, I haven't forgotten it since Tuesday, the ritual in the cave works. Jack must be getting bored, he doesn't even open his lips when I'm done and I stop to rest for a bit. I'll look at him.) He looked at him, still playing.
(Ugh... he's very overwhelmed, Lauren hasn't appointed him. And he doesn't tell me anything about it, of course, even though he must be thinking about it all the time, because this is the song that reminds him of her. Another one who likes to torture himself. I wish I could figure out a way to make him speak subtly. I'm going to stop playing suddenly, see if I catch him by surprise.)
He broke off mid-song. "What, Jack? How are you doing? You must be getting bored. Don't you have anything to tell me?"
"Nah, Prince, keep doing your thing. I'm at ease, I love it."
(Another king of dissimulation, Sly, eating his head. What a cross we have the snakes on us. Luckily the Gryffs influence me.) "Okay, whatever you want. I think that at this rate I will be able to sing it at the same time for the next one."
"Wow, that would be great. Go on, go on then."
(Well, I'll continue, I'm not going to think about the subject more, I have enough with mine, they'll get by with each other.) He continued playing until twenty to ten.
"I'm going to sing it. Do you want?" Sev asked.
"Of course."
He sang it like the other time, playing the instrumental parts.
"Wow, Prince, a phenomenon. Come on, you have a Quidditch meeting."
(True, and I really want to. I've managed to recover in time, I'm the bomb.)
They went down home. The entire Quidditch team was already waiting for him, sitting at the table in front of the Lake window. They had left him space between them. My corner, occupied at last.
He went over there and sat down. "Hey what's up?"
"Great, Prince," replied Brad. "Valerie has already told us that you are a flying phenomenon."
"Well, well, I'm not that good."
"Well, you better be, you have to teach us to fight on brooms."
"And I will, of course," Sev said. "I plan to train thoroughly between now and the end of the term and during the summer. In September I will be at your level."
"I don't doubt it," Valerie said.
They all chatted about Quidditch and combat. We shouldn't be talking about this in front of Hippolyta. But hey, it's Hippolyta, she wants to be a warrior since first year. Also, she has good ideas.
"If you play chasing the Snitch you will learn to move in all directions and at any speed," said the girl.
True.
"And if at the same time we throw Bludgers at you, you'll learn to dodge," said Brad.
"Wow, I hadn't thought of that. When is it your turn to practice again on Friday?"
"Today in two weeks," Valerie replied.
"By then I will have taken another three classes. You Beaters could stay with me, and we'll play fighting Quidditch."
"We'll all stay, Prince," Valerie said. "You can also rehearse plays with the Quaffle to coordinate among several of us flying."
"Wow, I never would have thought that Quidditch could be so useful for fighting."
"Neither do we," Ronald said.
We have to Bond the whole team, they would form a great squad. And it's also a good way to train secretly, to pretend that we're playing Quidditch on the field, without being seen from the castle.
And another couple has already occurred to me. Lucy and Trevor, the fourth-years, are sitting in my corner, on either side of the table, barely speaking and constantly glancing at each other. They hadn't connected until now, that they are part of the team. Great, so the girl will leave me alone, tomorrow we'll put them to fight together in training.
"And if you chase the Snitch with me, you'll learn to chase Death Eaters," Hippolyta told him.
Sev laughed. This Hippolyta is the bomb. "I can't wait, Hippolyta. Someday we will chase them together."
"And we'll snack them all! When are you going to teach me how to throw an Avada?"
Sev laughed, they all did. She calls 'snack them' to kill them. The truth is that I learned it at her age, I see her as perfectly capable.
They chatted until half past eleven. Sev ended the meeting. "Come on, to bed, tomorrow you have to be fresh to train."
And I still have more than an hour left to wait, I'll go to bed to study. Can't wait to see Remus. He was already getting up.
"Ah, Prince, by the way," Brad said. "What do you think if there's a party again tomorrow?"
Wow, they consult me. "What are you saying?" Sev asked a bit altered.
"People are killing themselves to train and study," patient. "We need to release the tension and there is still a lot left for the exams. It will be the last one before them."
I cannot refuse, he is absolutely right. Jack already warned me. Well, nothing, tomorrow I'll take a good nap, what I had in mind."Okay, but only beer and wine, whiskey suits you badly and there's training on Sunday."
"Okay, you rule," Brad agreed.
"And we'll start after dinner."
"Okay."
Sly Head. At this rate the Restorative potion is going to run out. He has said, 'the last one before exams', there will be another one after. Well, if in the end Lauren and Jack don't date that much, I'll ask her to give me back what she has left over for the summer with Lily, because we won't be able to use the Time-Turner at home.
I'll also take advantage of tomorrow to sleep with Audrey, after the party, with the Restorative, like couples do. Good. But only sleep, the rest of the time, pampering.
He went to bed to study, this time he didn't turn off the Lumos when Jack did. Let him think if he wants that I am going to be with Lauren, I am very sorry. I'd tell him everything if he opened up, but he's just pretending. I can't waste time.
At ten to one he Tracked his friends to see if they were sleeping. Yes, they already do. I'm going there. He put on his shoes and took out the Map. Ugh, bummer, Filch is on the seventh floor and he just got there. I can't go yet, but Remus won't come out either, he has his own Map, the original. He waited until Filch went down to the sixth floor. Here I go. Up the stairs, faster.
He ran up the eight floors. As he reached the Gryff door, Remus appeared.
"Hey friend, a hug."
They hugged and Sev conjured the Disillusioner again, they stared into each other's eyes and projected to each other.
"What joy, Sev. How I wanted to see you."
"I also miss you a lot. Your Map is phenomenal, it has fixed my life, you should dedicate yourself to it."
"Yes, I've been thinking about it since I explained it to Albus and he appreciated it so much. I think I'll delve into Arithmancy."
"Sure, Remus, and when you leave Hogwarts, study a Muggle scientific career. Hit the math this summer."
"Yes, of course, I will do it. I will find out how to enter the university. I think there are accesses for those who have not completed high school."
"Sure, Remus, do it."
"I will not be able to fight in the war."
"Then don't do it. War is about to kill and die, and I don't want you to die. You relieve me of a great weight."
"You are exceptional, Sev."
Because he knows that I am going to be in constant risk of death. How much we love each other, and a little over a year ago he was my harasser and he almost killed me. Incredible.
"Well, then you no longer have to study Defense," Sev said.
"No, I'm not going to do it. I will only do Medimagic, with Cecile and you. So whatever time I have left over I can spend preparing Muggle science for college. But I will continue training with you all, I will not give that up."
"Sure, Remus, very well thought out. I am sure that you will go far in the profession you choose."
"I'm interested in Biology."
"What is Biology?"
"The science that studies living beings, animals, plants," his friend replied. "Like Care of Creatures and Herbology but much more complete. You know, I am part animal and I would like to investigate the subject, my own condition, the origin of lycanthropy."
"Wow, how interesting. A good way to connect magical and Muggle teachings, quite a revolution. Perhaps if we ever make ourselves known to Muggles again, you will become very famous."
Remus smiled sheepishly and looked down. He's lovely.
"Remus, I'm serious. If not, at least, in the Wizarding World. You will write books on the subject, and who better than you to talk about it. You are reconciling with yourself, turning the misfortunes that have happened to you into something constructive."
Remus looked at him again. He has misty eyes.
"I've learned it from you, Sev."
"Come on, give me another hug."
They hugged again, Remus taking deep breaths to compose himself. Sev hugged him very tight. "I love you friend."
Sev waited for him to calm down. Poor man, he has to live for another two years with the other unpresentables, let's go for that Fidelius. He pulled away and they looked at each other again.
"Have you thought about where you want the Fidelius?"
"Yes, right here, in the seventh floor."
Great, far from the fifth floor.
"Let's go then."
Remus led him to a classroom that was also away from the Room of Requirement. Okay, away from the Room. It is near the Rave house, faces west, with views of the Forest and the Lake. Of course, he loves it, because of his forays through the Forest, soon he will also do it with Cecile, and I hope that in less than a year, with us.
Sev explained to Remus what he had to do. It was a complicated process, between explaining and doing it took them half an hour. And despite he has not conjured up space at the door. He doesn't need to watch if he gets caught and he has the Map, of course. While Remus was casting, Sev was watching that Filch didn't go up to the seventh floor again. He did not do it. When he finished, they get Disillusioned again and looked at each other.
"Well, then tomorrow try it with Cecile, and if it didn't work out for you, let me know and we'll try again."
"It won't be necessary, Sev. Now I know how it is, I'm not going to forget it. The cave ritual."
"Of course. I know I'm asking too much, but do you have the sketch of the Map that you left half done?"
"I got it."
"Could you finish it? It's for Jack," Sev asked.
"Sure, but not now, I need to study. Early next year."
"Great, Remus, when you can. And if you can't, this summer you'll explain the arithmantic part to me and I'll do it myself, although I don't know if I'll be able to."
"Well, Sev, I'm sure you would be, you're a wonder. But I'll do it, you're going to be very busy."
"You are who really is a wonder, Remus, never doubt it. I'll accompany you home."
They went back to the Gryff door, parted with another warm hug, and Remus went inside the portrait of the Fat Lady. Sev thought, It's already two o'clock. Filch is right on the fifth floor, let's see if he goes up or down. Oh, he goes through my passage to the second, he likes that passage. Let's see what he does now, if he patrols the second. Nope, he keeps going down the stairs to the dungeons and starts patrolling around there. Perfect, six floors away. I'm going there.
He ran down the stairs to the fifth and the Fidelius. I'm going to do it next to Lily's, door to door, so it also has views, but closer to the exits. classroom three. If Filch comes while I'm working, I'll go into the other one and he won't catch me, although I'll have to start all over again.
It took him a good half hour, for he also conjured up space before the door to watch from there. We need it as long as we both don't have a Map. He was often interrupted to check on Filch. He has skipped the fifth floor, he has gone up from the fourth to the sixth. Great, he patrols without order or concert. He would break out laughing.
This week I'll try it with Lauren, we already have a home for both of us. I have to escape from time to time to clean and fix it, it would be nice to do it on Sunday.
I'm going to stop by Lily's for a little bit while I'm here. He went there and lit two candles. Oh… how beautiful, how wonderful, our home. If I had brought the alarm clock I would stay here to sleep. I'm going to lay down on the bed for a while. It's almost three, but for me it's almost five, I'm exhausted.