(Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore - PoV)
Beautiful...
Hands clasped behind my back, I take the opportunity to admire the view from the office window.
The bright, welcoming grass. The sun glinting off the dark waters of the lake. The ancient treetops of the forest rustling in the wind, taunting me with the secrets deep within. The quidditch pitch, tall and proud, evoking memories of joy and excitement...
Ah, such a sight. It never fails to take my breath away. To remind me why the Founders chose here to create their legacy.
Most days, at least.
...
Some days.
The days when the rain falls thick enough one can't see the nose on their face...ah. Well. There were plenty of other good reasons to build here.
Mmm.
A cool breeze wafts in, and I take a deep breath, relishing the clean ai-
*Cough cough cough*.
After thumping my chest, I rub my face before resuming my pose.
Ahem.
Right.
The ointment.
*Sigh.*
After all these years my age is catching up to me. My joints are not what they used to be.
The ointment I use is not easy to make. There are plenty capable of soothing the aches and pains, but this particular concoction helps to prevent further deterioration, so long as I am careful.
Given the difficulty in brewing it properly, and the unfortunate potential for sabotage, I naturally prefer to use a potion master I trust.
Severus has never made a bad batch. Never had the slightest flaw.
Until the stories about Iris began to reach the papers.
...
...
*Cough*
Alas...
The ointment, indeed, many potions, when brewed perfectly, has almost no smell. With very common, very slight, deviations, or tiny flaws in the ingredients, however? While having no effect on the potency, they give it a distinctly unpleasant odor, one so commonly associated with most wizard medicine.
...
Yes, Severus made his feelings on recent events quite clear. Not unexpected.
Or undeserved.
...
That said...A foul smell? One could easily be forgiven for calling such action juvenile. I have been hiding it from Minerva but will have to speak to her eventually. Ensure she does not make any ill-advised comparisons to pranks.
No...No, I suspect Severus was making a point. Possibly...
Closing my eyes I take a deep breath, despite the smell.
Possibly a threat.
...
Definitely a threat.
Severus...He would turn against me. For her. For Iris.
Or, more likely, Lily's memory.
...
It could be...for the best...perhaps?
With my...failures, in recent years...
Having a...check...as it were. Severus has always been among the first to question me.
...
But can I truly trust the judgment of someone who would not hesitate to sacrifice everyone for just one person? Someone utterly trapped in the past, unable to move on?
How can I share the burden of the world with someone so compromised?
...
*Sigh*
I had planned to slowly push him to connect with the girl, to hopefully give him a path to heal at long last (Oh how I wish he could see he still needs help every bit as much as his students), but I misjudged her situation so very badly. And now...
The sound of a bell tolls as the gargoyle below is activated.
Mmm. He is on his way up, then.
Clasping my arms behind my back, I resume my pose, staring dramatically out the window, contemplation etched upon my features.
Alas, despite my position, my focus on the entrance to the room prevents me from actually appreciating the magnificent view any longer.
Three, two, one...
Throwing open the (not-so-ancient) door without bothering to knock, Severus strides into the room, a mask (hopefully...) of annoyance and disdain on his face.
He barely glances at me before stopping where he stands and crossing his arms.
*Harumph*
"It is a lovely day, isn't it? Taking some time to, appreciate, it?" he begins. "Such a pity most of us cannot simply throw up an owl redirection on a whim, and have our pet cat take care of all the work later."
I grimace at his insinuation. Minerva is hardly a pet!
"Sev-"
"I am not playing your games today, Dumbledore. If we could get on with it? The commotion this morning cost what little progress I have managed to make this year and losing my 'free' period is going to put me even further behind...Unless you are volunteering to teach a class or three while I do paperwork?"
Commotion? And despite what he seems to think, now that classes have started I can't push nearly as much paperwork in Minerva's direction. All the work I am currently putting off is going to be a problem.
Sighing, I drop my pose and return to my desk, waving Severus to a seat across from me.
Admittedly, I didn't have high expectations for my scene-setting, not with Severus, but I had hoped for at least some mitigation.
Alas...
Alas, I suspect Severus's...hostility...will not abate any time soon. Not until...
...
Perhaps our discussion will give some insight...
Severus cuts me off as soon as I open my mouth.
"I gave my prefects orders to attack you yesterday."
He...What?
I blink several times as Severus stares at me.
I cannot have heard him right. Surely my hearing is not failing me now?
"I'm...sorry? W-"
"You bloody well should be," he mutters before leaning back in his chair.
"The twins. And Iris. You want to know about them."
I hesitate just a moment before nodding.
Whatever that was, Severus will bring it up again, I am certain.
"Y-"
"They are unbelievably dangerous and amongst the more broken snakes I have had to look after. To start with, one of my prefects noticed Iris hoarding food."
Snape's face remains completely passive. Nothing in his body language changes whatsoever.
But there is no need for such obvious tells.
"Severus..."
"Dumbledore."
...
"You know how children develop such habits Dumbledore."
Closing my eyes for a brief moment, I nod.
"And you know what caused her to pick up such a trait, of course."
...
Again, I nod.
"And everything else."
...
A hint of his true feelings finally shows through the mask, his composure finally breaking just the slightest, venom leaking into his tone.
I don't bother to nod this time, just meeting gaze.
Perhaps...I did not mishear him.
...
...
"Coeus has some sort of issue with weres."
I blink once again as Severus moves on, dropping the subject.
Unexpected. Very unexpected.
Perhaps a good sign? Uncertain, bu-
"He also fought a unicorn yesterday."
...What?
"No one seems to know why."
That, on the other hand, is certainly not a good s-
"Before, you jump to conclusions, I did speak with Hagrid. He assured me that there seemed to be no, ill intent, from either party. I will also note, that the group went to his hut with the stated intention of practicing fighting monsters. I am assuming Coeus decided to go through with the plan anyway."
...I will need to speak to Hagrid myself, I think. I am having trouble imagining any scenario where a reasonable person would attack a unicorn.
"As for the girl, it is no surprise that she gets along with Iris. She is breaking the laws of magic nearly as badly."
Breaking-
...So he knows the details, then. Not just deduction or conjecture. Did he actually manage to get the students to tell him? To open up so quickly?
That is...good. Good!
No matter the difficulties it may be presenting, at least something is going well.
"She is an active seer, Dumbledore. She appears to be able to control her sight at will."
What? But...
"Yes, I know. It rather throws doubt on everything we know on the subject, doesn't it?" Severus asks.
His tone is still even, but once more I know we are on dangerous ground.
I have always known there to be a great deal of "wiggle room" in prophecies, but this is something else entirely. If one can pick and choose entirely...
"And her brother, dominating his year mates, through spell or through words..."
I grimace at the reminder.
That entire event went about as poorly as possible and I still have no idea what to do about it. I already moved too hastily once and look how it turned out.
The boy...Ah, but everything about his actions screamed the Dark Lord come again. And yet his intentions appear anything but, as well as his actions after the incident. T- Riddle, never had such genuine connections, nor would have considered such, childish, reasoning for their actions.
Hmm...And the news of the girl's ability...
The way the boy stared at me, the feeling I got, even then, convinced me to be cautious with what I allowed him to see.
I suspect she is not the only one with something more to her sight.
"Regardless, it brings me to my point. At least two students almost died last night."
Severus's words cut through my distractions, gaining my full attention.
"Paying attention now, are we?"
"Yes, Severus," I reply evenly, matching his gaze. "You have my attention. Please. Continue."
...
Silence fills the room as dark eyes stare into my own for several moments.
"I made a mistake. Given my...stress, I sent the students to their dorms, and retired to my own room as quickly as possible."
...
"And?" I prompt calmly.
"They are twins, Dumbledore."
...Oh.
"The first twins the Black family has ever produced. Twins who have never been separated their entire lives and I suspect have a great deal of unresolved...baggage."
Briefly closing my eyes, I nod.
"I see."
Twins...With identical twins, it is less of an issue. Twins such as the Weaslys go into the same House and so can remain close. Those not sorted in the same House, such as the Patils, are already different enough that separation issues tend to be less problematic, and everyone knows to look for them.
Fraternal twins, on the other hand, are far less common, and harder to predict.
"What happened?" I ask.
"Phoebe knew the dorms would be an, issue, and had a plan to 'resolve' it, but greatly underestimated how badly it would affect them. Both of them broke, Dumbledore, as only Blacks can."
I can only stare in shock as he tells me what happened between students last night while I slept.
"So, as I said. This morning I ordered my prefects to attack you if you try interfering with them."
Blinking once again, I attempt to process his...conclusion.
"What? Sev-"
"Separating. If you or McGonagall, or anyone else, try to separate them. Though I should change it to interfering with them at all."
...
Pausing once more to take a deep breath, I attempt to recenter myself.
...
"Why, Severus?" I ask, focusing on the man.
"Do you really have to ask? We went over this yesterday."
Yesterday?
...The staff meeting.
"Perhaps your age really is getting to you, if your memory is going that quickly. I will reiterate. You ruin whatever lives you touch. If you try your manipulations on those two, you will Fuck. It. Up. No matter your intentions, you will turn them into monsters. And given those two have even more potential than Bellatrix, I do not want to see them fall to the Black curse."
Severus eyes narrow, glaring at me as he stands up.
"I will not see you and yours make another Bellatrix, Dumbledore! You only saw the aftermath, arrived to clean up after! You did not have to accompany her! You did not have to participate!" his fists clench as he hisses the last word.
Shaking his head, he turns away and storms towards the door as I stare after him.
I...knew he witnessed terrible things, as a Death Eater. Committed, even. He admitted as much. But I had not considered...
And-
"And Dumbledore," without looking back, Severus pauses at the threshold, speaking as he holds open the thick door, "Don't make me choose. You know my loyalty to her will always come before you."
The door slams shut behind him.
Before me? Not everything?
And the twins...Wanting, needing to avoid creating more monsters. Refusing to allow the horror and destruction that would bring? Fighting, to prevent them from falling to darkness, even if you must fight your greatest ally?
Have I misjudged Severus? Is he more willing to protect the world than I thought?
His current antagonism towards me is problematic, but...
I grimace.
...
Ruin every life I touch?
I...
I wish I could argue the point. Oh, how I wish I could disagree.
...