Row
Sev's escort finished their dessert. He had left a spoonful of the first course so that the second would not appear, while he continued to listen to Lily and Lauren's conversation. (It has also taken them a long time to finish eating, even though they barely had breakfast and spent the whole morning training. What an upset I have given them. But I can't soften up yet, I still have the talk with Jack.)
"Are you going to eat more?" Jack asked him.
"I'm not. Let's go."
As they got up he projected to Lily, "Honey, thank you very much, we cut off. See you at dinner."
"Great, Sev."
(Very well, she's already fine. It's been good for her to talk to Lauren, they do each other a lot of good. If I'm not there, they'll resist. My little one has already left a while ago, I haven't even said goodbye to him and he hasn't bothered me at all. He must have realized how upset I was and that I've barely eaten, I'm sure he'll tell me something later.)
The six of them came out, on both sides of the table. (The malefics have already left, and all of Sly has except Lauren, who is still talking to Lily. I don't care, I'm going to interrupt them, I want to say goodbye to her too.) "Until dinner, my love," he projected to Lauren.
She looked at him and replied, "I'm going to count the hours."
"And I until the day we meet. You don't know how much I miss you."
"And I you, my love."
(Jack has noticed again that we've looked at each other. Better, that way he's preparing for the serious talk we're going to have. I don't know if I'll have time until two.)
When they reach the end of the table Sev spoke to them, "As before, and the wands out, in case they are waiting for us at the door or from here to the dungeons."
They lined up and left the Great Hall, on their way to the dungeons they met numerous Slys who were returning from home to the Library. (They greet us and look at us transmitting security. As I said, the only Sly who screw it up is Jack. Everyone at home trusts that I know how to take care of myself more than enough. I have done it for five years living with the vipers and before the Gryff quartet.
(When we get to our bedroom I'm going to take a few minutes to think about how to approach the talk with Jack, because we have a lot to talk about and I don't want to leave anything out. I've calmed down enough, in the end I've unloaded on Lily the fury that should have been for him. Badly done. But it doesn't matter, I'll simulate it and in peace. I do know how to pretend.)
They reached the spiral stairs. Sev ordered, "Line up one by one, to make way for people."
They reorganized, Valerie leading, then Andrew, Sev behind, Anthony, Deborah, and Jack bringing up the rear. (Nothing, no sign of the malefics. Lucky to live in the dungeons, our territory. We should find out when they have Potions class and give them a good scare, so they know what to expect if they become Death Eaters. Tonight on the party we'll plan it.
(The Slys coincide with the Gryffs almost certainly and the Raves can be found out, I'll ask Lauren to read them at dinner. I already know what I'm going to do to the handsome guy who attacked Cecile and tried to flirt with Lauren, mark his face with a good controlled Sectumsempra, stop being so handsome, I'll practice it in the fir tree. And if it occurs to him to go tell Albus, he'll take the opportunity to read him. Two birds with one stone.)
They got to the house like that and went inside. (Audrey is in the armchair with its back to the door, on her knees, facing here, like the day of the trouble, waiting for me. She has also worried.)
He turned to speak to Anthony, "Tell Jack to wait for me in the bedroom, I'll go upstairs now."
"Sure, Prince."
He turned to Audrey, "What's up, Audrey? Do you want to talk?"
"Yes Prince."
Ugh… how diffident she is. She has also been scared. "Then let's go to my corner, there are many people coming and going."
"Sure."
She is already learning to keep secrets.
They both went to the corner and sat down, she with her back to the Lake and he facing it. He conjured the Muffliato.
"You've been worried, haven't you?" Sev asked her.
"Yes, Prince, a lot."
"Don't worry, pretty. I know how to take care of myself."
"But your escort have given themselves away a lot by not coming for breakfast," Audrey said.
Even she realizes, all of Sly. "Yeah, I know, Audrey. I'm going to have a serious talk with Jack as soon as I've done with you."
"Tell him off."
"That's what I plan to do, don't doubt it," he said. "I have already dismissed him as head escort, and I will also do so as second in training."
"Put Genevre, she's great."
Her future sister-in-law. She already adores her, what a good matchmaker I am. "Better one of those who command seventh year."
"The Gryffs?" she asked.
"Yeah. The Longbottoms are better warriors."
"Sure…"
"I'm waiting for them to learn Occlumency, like you," Sev said.
"Oh…"
"Of course. Being second implies knowing many secrets."
"Yeah. Does Jack know how to occlude?" Audrey asked.
She's already starting to be indiscreet, but I can tell her, she has known much more serious things for two weeks and she hasn't said anything. "Sure, Audrey. Very little people know yet, but over time all the warriors will learn, so that Voldemort does not read us."
"Sure…"
I must encourage her to make an effort to learn, I'm putting her in danger and maybe I won't be able to give her as many classes as I thought at first. How I messed up, he thought. "That's why you have to make an effort to learn. You are privileged, because for the year you are in, it would not be your turn yet. It is an effort that I make because for me you are special."
"Of course... how lucky I am, Prince."
Poor girl. What a mess I've gotten her into. If they read her in the summer without having learned to occlude, she goes to the hole too. But I can't scare her too much. "Well yes. I don't know if I'll be able to teach you this week, I'm very busy."
"Yeah. Lucy already told me that you are also learning to fly on a broomstick."
"That is, and a lot of meetings with the old man, like this morning," Sev explained.
"Yes, that's what Jack told us in training."
Well, he's done something right. But I bet what you want that it wasn't his idea. I'll ask him later. "Don't worry about me anymore. I know how to take care of myself, I assure you. Are you calmer?"
"Yes Prince."
"Okay, that's how I like it. Is there a party tonight?"
"Yes, Brad is going with the seventh-years to Hogsmeade."
Brad, our party planner. I will miss him next year. Let's see who's in charge of organizing them by then, the sixth-graders are much more serious. "If you want, after the party we'll sleep together and pamper each other. But just that," he suggested. Today I don't feel like doing anything else, not even partying, but I can't annoy people, I'll retire whenever I feel like it. Let them get by without potion, as if they don't come to train tomorrow, they already train on their own all week.
"Sure, Prince."
She doesn't really want to party either, nor does she get horny. Fear has beather too. Jack has screwed everyone completely. "Come on, get ready to go study, there are two weeks left for exams, spend the afternoon with your eagle. Have you trained with him?"
"Yeah."
"Well, if you see him now in the Library, suggest you train together tomorrow too," Sev said.
"Sure, I'll tell him."
She has already cheered up a little more. Good, she already prefers him to me. I am dangerous, now she begins to be aware of it. If she doesn't tell me anything tonight, I won't invite her. "I'm sure he'll want to. Throw yourself, like you do with me."
She smiled at him, he smiled back.
"Come on, we both have a lot to do. See you tonight," he said goodbye.
They got up and headed for the stairs that led to the bedrooms. The bustling of the Common Room had ceased, no one remained. I want a kiss, maybe the last one. "A quick kiss, Audrey."
They did, a kiss with wet lips, which lasted barely two seconds. As he went up to his bedroom, he was thinking, How well this girl kisses, she has put me in a good mood. What a pity that now I have to put in bad again. It's twenty past one, in the end I'm going to make my little one wait. Well, since there's no one left at home, I'm going to tell Jack to go down to the Common Room, so we can talk face to face, more seriously, I'll cast the Muffliato in case someone comes and that's it. But first I'm going to take my time to think.
He entered their bedroom. "Jack, are you there?" dryly.
"Yes, Prince," submissive.
(That's how I like it, he already expects the one that awaits him.) "Come down to the Common Room to wait for me," blunt and authoritative. "I have to take a few minutes to think."
"Okay, I'll wait for you," Jack replied a bit annoyed.
(Well, if he gets upset just for that, it seems to me that we are going to have a good one. Better, he has already put me in the mood. He will not be able to beat me, I am in charge here. My loves and I are the ones who are risking our lives.)
He stretched out on the bed with his boots on and made a mental list of the issues he needed to discuss with Jack in order of priority. The cave ritual is great, it allows me to learn by heart without having to write or memorize, because right now it seems essential to me. Lily, Lauren, the breakfast blunder, the malefics in the Library, the blunder coming out of training, immediate dismissal as head escort and future as second in instruction.
That he has to teach Valerie and Andrew Occlumency and curses for summer escort because Lily might need it too, and of course I don't trust him anymore. That he won't be able to accompany me alone to play the piano or swim anymore, I'd rather go alone than with him alone, or I'll ask the others. That he tells Deborah that I want to talk to her during the afternoon, that she stops by the bedroom to look for me, and ask him whose idea it was to hide from the Slys.
Well, that's all for now, I suppose the themes will change in order and perhaps others will emerge, but I won't forget them anymore.
He went down to the Common Room. Jack was sitting in his corner, his back to the Lake.
"Jack," dry and authoritative. "Sit on the other side. I want to be facing the door."
(It already makes me angry that we are going to be in the same position that I usually am with Lauren, but it gives me even more the necessary spirit to face the row that is going to fall on him.)
Jack switched places and Sev sat across from him. He studied his body posture. (Facing ahead, but with his hands under the table, running away from the contact, fearful. I put mine on top.) He drew his wand and cast the Muffliato. He didn't put it back. He put both arms on the table with his wand in his right hand. (My weapon, my baton.)
He looked him straight in the eye and began, "Today you have put Lily in mortal danger!" vehement and furious.
Jack looked down. (I already have him dominated, he is soft. At my mercy.)
"Do you know who is going to go for her?" Sev asked in the same tone.
(He doesn't answer but he imagines it.) "You can imagine it, don't you? Answer!"
"Voldemort," Jack replied with a small voice, fearful.
"No! Not Voldemort! Worse! Bellatrix Lestrange!"
Jack adopted a grimace of deep suffering. (I'm going to tell him everything that Lauren's parents knew before the mess. Let him be aware how the slut spends them.) He continued a bit less altered, so as not to exhaust himself.
"Lauren's parents read her at Christmas and Easter, and also Malfoy. Ever since he talked about me in public she's gotten it into her head to sexually submit me because she does it to all would-be Death Eaters. She spent the whole winter urging Malfoy to make the appointment as soon as possible, he put her off because he didn't want to come in bad weather, that got me off the hook. But still, she could have gone to Hogsmeade alone, read Deborah and Anthony, and caught us all. And when she finds out that I'm with Lily she's going to be jealous of her and she's going to go after her. Are you aware?"
"The malefics have seen us together, right?" Jack asked.
"Yes, Jack, yes! From the Library! They were waiting to ambush me for your blunder at breakfast. Lauren has spent all morning reading them and waiting next to them in case I passed by, to protect me."
"Prince, I'm so sorry," slightly to the side and trembling.
(He doesn't even care anymore that I talk about Lauren. Better, because he's going to find out everything.)
Sev continued, very upset again, "If I hadn't had the Map, we would have had a two against five duel without being Bonded. You have put her at risk of death too! To all three! To Lily and Lauren and me! Or going to Azkaban if we had had to kill them! We, who dreamed of being your family!"
(I'm already exhausted and he's broken, and we've only just begun, but it's just that the matter has been very serious. I'm going to loosen up a bit, otherwise we won't get to the end.) "Do you know what the three of us saw in the mirror?"
"I don't," Jack replied.
(Lauren hasn't told him and he hasn't seen the four of us, of course not. Well, I'll tell him.) "The four of us giving each other cuddles and hugs, and the three of us loved it. But I'm sure I won't see you again, and neither will Lily. You might bite the bullet if Lauren keeps seeing you, because you don't deserve her at all."
(I'm going to tell him everything, because she's not going to. Let him give her up or fight to deserve her.) "She's madly in love with me since first year, since the night of the Sorting. And ever since her parents filled her in on their ideas, she's been reading to protect Lily and me, even while she was with you last year. In September she didn't come back with you because you didn't have the nerve to look for her, you abandoned her, and because she realized that Lily and I were sneaking around and she's spent the whole school year reading the vipers to protect us. The Potions scene was a cover, she just wanted to get close to me as a friend. And when I rejected her and the following week she found out that Malfoy had talked about me in front of the slut, she decided along with her parents to help me, without any sign on my part of approaching her. She brought a Pensieve in her trunk when she came back from holidays and that same night she read me in the Great Hall to find out if I intended to join Voldemort. And do you know what she read?"
Jack looked at him. "What, Prince?"
"That I am willing to die in order to defeat him! Since Christmas, when I was still completely alone, save for the Gryffs! They are true friends!"
"Yes, they have shown us this morning."
"And you have endangered them all!" Sev yelled.
"Are they planning to do something to Remus and Cecile too?" very worried.
(I'm going to loosen up. I'm exhausted.) "They aren't. Luckily not."
(I am not able to calm down.) "Only telling on Lily that she's with me, the four seventh-years, to win Voldemort's favor, and the sixth-year to keep watching us at school!" Sev continued, desperate. "Maybe we won't be able to get out until we're in seventh grade!"
"Booah, Prince... what a blunder," looking down again, suffering a lot.
"Indeed, Jack, indeed."
(I'm going to reassure him a bit about Lily.) "Luckily we have Dumbledore," much calmer. "He has covered Lily's tracks at the Ministry, which led to my house in Cokeworth, and he is going to teach us both how to become invisible between now and summer."
"Oof… thank goodness," Jack sighed very relieved, looking at him again. "But even more work for you."
"I don't care," vehemently. "As long as we are both safe." (I'm not going to tell him that I'm going to teach Lauren, she can tell him if she wants to. I'm done with Lily, I'm going on with Lauren.) "I keep telling you the story of Lauren. Seem to you?"
(He looks away from me again, he doesn't want to know. I don't care, I'm going to tell him everything.) Sev continued vehemently, "On the sixteenth of January, a month and a half before you deigned to accept me into your derisory ranks, she passed me a letter offering her help and I accepted it immediately. She risked her secret without my knowing Occlumency, to save me, because I was alone! We spent almost two months staying two and three nights a week for four hours or more so that I could learn Mental Arts thoroughly as soon as possible, while you doubted and doubted. Totally disinterested help! Absolute devotion! Right here where we are sitting right now! Without touching each other a hair!"
(He still doesn't look at me, he doesn't want to find out. I don't care, let him leave if he dares, I won't speak to him again if he does.)
"As you can understand, I am not indifferent to devotion, talent and beauty. I fell madly in love with her and still I am, still loving Lily, but we've both been holding back our feelings for each other so we wouldn't hurt you and Lily."
(He keeps not looking at me. I continue.)
"But at Easter, Lily and I discovered the Magic of the Moon, we both decided to include Lauren in our relationship and since then she has been an essential part of it. Are you aware?"
"Yes Prince."
"Even so, I haven't been with Lauren, because the three of us have decided that I won't be with her as long as I can't do it freely with Lily as well. But I'm not going to give her up no matter how long I have to wait. I'm going to love her forever and I'm going to fight for her to be happy and not die! I put both before my own life and happiness, unlike you! If you don't protect her or make her happy, I will! Are you aware?"
"Yes Prince."
(I'm going to drop this topic and get on with how he put Lauren in danger with Albus.) "Today you have not only put her at risk of death. The old man could also have been able to discover her."
Jack looked at him. "Have you been with him?"
"Of course I've been with him. As soon as I realized with my Map that Lauren was reading the malefics very close to them in the Library, to find out if he had discovered her in the one he is making. Lauren and I, pact of selfless devotion! We live to protect each other!"
"And did she appear on his Map?"
(He is not at all interested in the relationship I have with her, he is only concerned about her, but that is what he believes, in reality he only cares about himself, that nothing happens to her so that he does not miss her,) Sev thought. "She didn't, luckily not. But the malefics have tried to get in touch with her, she's had to hide and she's done very well, despite the stress she was under for me and Lily. Not like you! You are not up to her!"
"Booah… But if he got to see her, he could have summoned her and realized that she occludes," suffering again.
"That is, Jack, that is. Trying to fix your blunder and save both of our lives, knowing immediately what their intentions were and making sure I wouldn't be alone if I was ambushed. I already made sure that she knew how to throw a well-cast Avada, much better than you."
"I'm a real disaster," Jack admitted, looking down again.
"Well yes. That seems to me," blunt.
(I'll continue with the blunder after training.)
"You've continued to screw it up after training. Waiting to come out last with the Gryffs."
"It was because Lily has asked us to wait," looking at him again.
(He has the nerve to blame Lily… I was already calming down.) Sev shouted, gesturing with his hands, "And you have no judgment, Jack? Where is your snake cunning? Do you know what Sly means, that abbreviation that you like to use so much and of which you feel so proud?"
"Of course I know," looking down again.
"Well, you're the least astute in the House! You don't deserve the Patronus you have, a feline, you don't have it for you! Who came up with the pretense that I was with Dumbledore? Surely not you."
"No, it was Lily," Jack answered.
"Oh, the one you were accusing after putting her at risk of death! All Sly has known how to hide my absence except you and the escort commanded by you! You have come home to look for me with very little time, without forming and hurrying, instead of pretending that I was with you protected. You have been lucky that the malefics are stupid and it has not occurred to them to wait for you at the exit of the training. Demonstrating fear again, like when you entered the Hall this morning!"
"I'm not worth this, Prince," denying and looking at him again.
(I'm going to loosen up.) "No, I already noticed," Sev agreed. "Maybe you would do, but not with me. You love me too much and it gets out of hand, because you don't have an open and sincere relationship with me. I'm trying, but you don't tell me anything about what you feel for the woman we both love."
Jack looked away again. (He's not going to, especially not right now. What an unfortunate opportunity to reveal my and Lauren's feelings, it's getting out of hand. I'm going to give him a hand for the future, I'm exhausted.)
He left his wand on the table and spoke to him in confidence, "Jack, give me your hand."
Jack looked at him and held it out. Sev took it. "I'm sorry for being like that," starting to cry. "I love you too very much. I understand that now is not the time, but I hope that you will come to trust me one day. I would be very happy if we could get along."
Jack looked down, also crying. (We are both devastated. How bad it feels for us snakes to feel things so deeply. I'm going to wait for us to recover, because I still have to remove him and he gave me a foothold with that last comment.) They cried silently for a couple of minutes, holding hands very tightly, and they no longer let go.
Jack looked up again.
"Are you better, brother?" Sev asked.
"Yes Prince."
"I'm very sorry, but I'm going to dismiss you as head of escort."
"I understand it and I prefer it," Jack admitted.
"You will continue to be the link, for the moment I am going to put Deborah."
"Very good choice, she deserves it much more than me. This morning we had a good one because she wanted to look for you only on the fifth floor and go back to have breakfast, and I wanted to go all over the castle."
"Ugh, Jack… you should have followed her criteria," Sev said.
"And the same after training, she didn't want to wait for Lily. She was convinced that you were already home and she wanted us to come back for you as soon as possible. She has stood up to me before Cecile, Alice and Frank."
(What a mess, what a bad choice. Because I like her the worst, I have not been able to give her the position she deserves, and if we had been in her hands, nothing bad would have happened. How much I still have to learn.) "Of course, Jack, she was right. You will also stop being second in training once Alice and Frank learn Occlumency."
"Okay, Prince, they also deserve it more than me. They have not lost their poise at any time."
(At least I have been able to judge them correctly. I wish they had been in the Guard from the beginning. And to think that they had never really taken a walk in the Forest.) "You will continue to be the link with them as well."
"Of course."
"That way I release you from part of the responsibility, because I'm going to give you extra work," Sev said.
"Tell me, I'm ready for whatever you need."
(After the one that just fell on him. I don't deserve him, I've gone a lot overboard.) "What I told you yesterday, about teaching Occlumency to Valerie and Andrew. It seems essential to me, for the summer escort. I no longer trust you to protect me, you lose your temper. And we'll need an escort for Lily too, at least when she has to go to Diagon."
"I will, Prince," Jack agreed. "I'll get to it this afternoon if you don't need them to leave the house."
"No, Jack, today I'm not going out except for dinner."
"As soon as we finish I'm going to look for them and take them to the small clearing, they are in the Library."
"Check if they have the talent, I guess so, they are Sly," Sev suggested. "Otherwise they will have to be brought to the fir tree first. On Monday I'm going with Albus and the Gryffs, we can take the opportunity to go with the seven of us. By the way, I hadn't thought about it, are they seventeen already?"
"Valerie is, Andrew fulfills them shortly."
"Good, then they can Apparate in summer. It's fine. You also have to teach them curses."
"Sure, count on it," said Jack.
"But don't take them to the nest. Although there are few acromantulas left, in the heat they are very dangerous. It is better to go in winter, we already risked too much going in March, when it was no longer freezing during the day, you already saw how they got and the carnage we had to do."
"Of course, Prince, you are the expert."
"Is Deborah in the Library too?"
"She is."
"Tell her when you go to look for Valerie and Andrew to stop by our bedroom when she can, without rushing," Sev asked. "I want to talk to her any time in the afternoon."
"Sure, I'll tell her."
"I have to tell you something else that may be going to hurt you a lot."
"Tell me whatever," Jack said.
"I no longer trust going with you alone to the Room of Requirement. They could ambush us on both sides of the passage if they know it, or go swimming together alone."
"Don't feel sorry for me, I feel more sorry for you. You're going to lose even more freedom," Jack was crying again.
"No problem. More people will go, when they can, or I'll escape at night, alone, as I always did, now I have the Map."
"Sure."
"You don't know what a scold I gave Lily during lunch," Sev also cried. "I've gone a lot overboard, I paid with her the one that should fall on you."
"Yeah, I already realized how upset you were, you barely ate the first course."
"It's been very stressful, because first I talked to her alone while Lauren was reading, then between the three of us, so she could tell us the news, and then with the old man, all in little more than half an hour."
"With everything you have on you and instead of taking away problems I give them to you," said his friend.
"Well yes. I've only been awake for three hours and it seems to me that the whole day has passed, due to the storm of emotions I've experienced. I'm exhausted, today I won't even be able to study. I'm going to take it off."
"Sure, do it. Anything else?"
"No. Unless you want to tell me something," Sev said. (Please, Jack, do it. I know Lauren hasn't been with you since Monday and she won't be with you today either, after what happened this morning.)
"Nothing, Prince, I'll let you rest. I'm going to the library."
"No, rest for a while too, there's no rush. You are exhausted."
"Yes you're right. I've also had a very tense morning since eight, when I woke up and saw that you weren't there."
"Forgive me, Jack. Ultimately it was all my fault," Sev apologized.
"No, brother, no. It's been me, I haven't trusted you. Come on, give me a hug."
They both got up and met each other by the table. They clung to each other, crying, until they calmed down.