Chapter 37 – In a Fog
Lavender didn't think it would take so long for McGonagall to return to her and her friends to ask about visiting Holly.
It's almost the weekend and Lavender has to stop herself from hounding her Head of House every evening in the UMPA club.
Luna's been the most withdrawn. She's gone to see Harry several times but, like everyone else, has been denied entry. Lavender can tell the other girl hasn't been sleeping. Luna's managed to speak to Holly a few times, but the only thing Luna shared about their encounters is that Holly is always anxious to be away from Harry for too long.
So, now, after finally being given permission, Lavender and a group of the UMPAs are headed to the Infirmary with a care package just for Holly. Harry's care package is safe until he wakes up. Truthfully, they're excited to see Holly.
Things have been weird for fifth-year Gryffindors these last few days. Ron's been in a bad mood every time he goes to Quidditch practice. Hermione's been quiet and upset in her dorms, more so since Harry's hospitalisation. Neville's been twitchy since Hogsmeade. Dean said he's been having nightmares, which they can tell even with the Silencing Charms. And then recently, Dean has been walking around in a daze, completely distracted about something and won't share what, no matter how much Lavender tries to ask.
It feels like the fifth-year Gryffindors are falling apart. Lavender is worried for herself, Parvati, and Seamus. They could be next to be hit with whatever funk that had affected the rest of them.
On top of all that, they heard about the breakout in Azkaban.
And You Know Who's return.
The Daily Prophet had spent all summer slandering Harry and Dumbledore. Both had maintained their silence. Harry stood by his words that You Know Who was back, didn't care if people believed him or not, and never bothered to argue with anyone who tried to call him out on it.
The whole school is in uproar about it.
Along with the fact that Sirius Black was innocent, what with the capture of Pettigrew.
There have been loads of articles about the whole thing in
Almost everyone in the UMPA club had signed a card for Holly, saying how much they were missing her and how they were looking forward to seeing her and Harry returning again. Lavender is even excited to tell Holly about the play they were going to perform in June.
McGonagall is waiting for them outside the Hospital Wing. She studies them carefully, counting down the people.
Seamus had detention, so he couldn't make it, to the boy's dismay. Apart from Lavender and Parvati, they're accompanied by the Weasleys (except for Ron), the Gryffindor Chasers, Neville and Dean from Gryffindor. And Luna, of course. Others from the UMPA had been disappointed they weren't allowed to visit but had been understanding of the limits McGonagall and Pomfrey had put on.
"Madam Pomfrey has kindly allowed this gathering and I expect you all to behave with the appropriate amount of decorum given the circumstances. She also transformed an area for you all to sit in. The House Elves are providing some food for everyone, please partake in that before you sample the desserts," she says as she aims a pointed look at the care package Lavender holds. Softening slightly, she continues, "Holly is obviously feeling fragile and upset with the situation. Tread carefully."
"Of course, Professor," Dean jokes. "Though have you considered if we do upset Holly, it might force Harry to wake up to come and defend her. That'll cheer up Holly, too. Two birds, one stone."
"There's an idea," George says perkily.
"Except I don't fancy being on the business end of Harry's wand, brother of mine," Fred laments.
The twins nod sagely.
"It is a dangerous place to be," Ginny adds.
McGonagall gives them a soft smile, thankfully understanding their words are in jest.
Lavender represses a shudder. She still remembers Harry's frenzy when he thought Holly was hurt in the girl's dorm and his determination to get up there to defend her. Harry becomes a whole different, scary person when he thinks Holly is in danger.
"You may head inside," McGonagall says with a smile.
Luna silently takes the lead, her usual dreamy expression overtaken by sadness.
Holly's already waiting for them in a section that looks like it's been cleared, especially for them. There's a large round table that's been set up, with enough chairs for all of them. Holly gives a faint smile at the sight of them, which fades as quickly as it appears.
They all greet Holly, who gives them a wan smile again. No one misses her anxious looks at the curtained area.
"Look," Lavender says, calling the girl's attention. "We brought you this blanket. Luna designed it, but the sewing club stitched it together."
Holly comes out of her funk slightly as she examines her blanket.
"It's amazing," she says in awe as she traces the stag's antlers. With the right fabric and a nifty little spell, the stag glows like a real patronus.
"We used Colin's pictures from the first duelling club. He got some amazing ones with you and Luna trying to stroke the stag," Ginny adds, looking pleased at Holly's reaction.
"And of course, Luna was close up to it, she was able to add in the details," Neville explains.
"We even added a Warming Charm. It feels like Harry's Patronus," Luna tells the girl.
Holly nods, overwhelmed. She clutches the blanket close to her and chokes out a heartfelt "Thank you."
McGonagall passes a conjured handkerchief to the girl, who uses it to wipe her face clean, especially as they show her the designs on the partially completed blanket for Harry. McGonagall summons a House Elf to bring their food and it's all they can do to get Holly to try and eat something. Every mouthful seems like it's being forced down, and though Holly thanks them for the chocolates and sweets, she's clearly not interested. If her attention isn't constantly on the curtains behind which her brother is lying, it's on her new blanket.
In an effort to distract her, Dean flicks through the sketchbook he's been using.
"I've made broom designs for your broom," he says, flicking through the relevant pages.
McGonagall, intrigued, leans in – as does everyone else.
"You're designing a broom?" their Housemaster asks.
"Holly and Harry are designing a broom," Dean corrects. "I'm just the artist trying to capture their imagination."
"I see," McGonagall says with a raised brow. Trying to engage Holly, she begins to ask questions. "Do tell me more."
Tearing her gaze away from Harry's bed, Holly looks at the sketchbook, "It's going to fly faster than the Firebolt. The twigs are going to be black, red and orange. Like they're on fire because it's going so fast. The shaft is going to be green, I think. Like Harry's eyes."
"Have you thought about what it's going to be made of?" McGonagall questions.
"Um, I don't know," Holly says with a sheepish shrug. "Harry can decide."
"And what about a name?"
"Oh, we're calling it the Icarus M5," Holly replies immediately, looking pleased with herself.
McGonagall looks at Holly with raised eyebrows.
"You're going to name a broom enchanted to fly after the boy who died flying too close to the sun?" their teacher says in disbelief.
Lavender and Parvati giggle as they exchange glances. That had been Harry's reaction, too, when Holly announced the name she'd picked out for the broom.
Holly shrugs again and defends, "That's not going to happen to our broom. It's not like it's actually made out of feathers and wax."
"I see," McGonagall says after a bit of staring, her lips twitching. "Are you planning to make these to sell?"
"No, I don't think so. Harry's going to use it to fly in the Annual Broom races. It'll outfly a dragon," Holly explains.
"What does the M5 stand for?" Neville asks curiously.
"May 5th," Holly answers. "It's my birthday."
McGonagall offers suggestions for the design of the broom, getting into a good-natured debate with Holly about shaft design and explains appropriate spells to use.
"Harry often complains about being cold when sitting on the broom in cold weather," Luna adds. "Would a Warming or Heating Charm on the Cushioning Charm still have the broom workable?"
"Oh, you know that would be so useful," Angelina pipes up.
"It would be nice to have a warm aaarrs…" Katie trails off at McGonagall's raised brow. "Er, I mean mean buttocks area while flying in colder weather."
Lavender giggles again.
"Do brooms have anti-slip charms?" Neville questions curiously. "You know when it rains, don't your hands slip?"
"Never had problems sliding up and down the shaft when it gets wet," Katie says without thinking, then gasps and slaps her hand to her mouth.
There's a pregnant pause, and then Fred and George let loose the biggest cackles, with the others sniggering into their hands. Neville's blushing, poor lad. Even McGonagall hides a smile despite trying to look stern.
Holly looks at them in confusion, "Why is that funny?" not getting the joke.
That begins a new round of laughter while McGonagall is left trying to explain immature behaviour.
Even Luna's eyes light up.
As they leave almost an hour later, McGonagall gives them a "Well done." Lavender is pleased that the evening was such a success. The shadows have lifted from Luna's eyes a little, McGonagall looks less worried, and Holly is gratified with her new blanket.
ooOoo
"Where did you lot go?" Ron asks curiously, looking up from the chair he's lounging in front of the fire.
His siblings, the rest of the Quidditch team, along with Neville, Dean, Parvati and Lavender, amble through the Gryffindor entrance wearing pleased smiles.
Hermione doesn't look up from the book she's been reading.
They all exchange glances, and George answers with a shrug, "To the Hospital Wing."
"I thought Madam Pomfrey wasn't letting anyone see Harry," Hermione says sharply, her attention immediately on them. "Is Harry awake? Can we see him now? Is he healed?"
"Harry isn't awake," Fred tells her. "We still can't see him, and no one tells us about where he is in regards to healing or when he'll wake up."
"Then why did you go to the Hospital Wing?" Ron asks with a frown, pushing away the Quidditch magazine he'd been reading.
"To see Holly," Ginny says with a shrug.
"Why didn't you invite us?" Hermione asks, looking hurt.
"We didn't think you'd care," Ginny shares with another careless shrug.
"We care," Ron denies.
"You have a funny way of showing it," Lavender mutters. She rolls her eyes at Ron and Hermione's protests and walks up to the girls' dorms with Parvati, followed by the Chasers.
Neville and Dean walk away, too, up to the boys' dorms.
"Look, you've both made it clear that you don't care about Harry and Holly's relationship," George starts harshly, "but like Snape, you don't seem to realise they're a package deal."
Ron frowns at being compared to the greasy git. He opens his mouth to argue, but Fred talks over him.
"Harry's been your friend since first year, Ron," his brother tells him. "You've gone through loads together. All three of you. And we know you've not shared half the stuff you get up to, but that's okay with us as long as you're safe. But the both of you haven't listened to him at all this year when he talks about Holly being his sister. It doesn't matter that they're not blood-related; it doesn't matter to him that she's Snape's daughter. Holly and her well-being is Harry's driving force, and you need to get that through your thick skulls."
"She's important to him in a way no one else will ever be," George continues, "more than you two, no matter how strong you think your bond is. Harry's put himself in front of two deadly curses for her. He values her life. And the both of you are doing a piss poor of showing him you acknowledge his feelings for her."
"Harry got bitten by a basilisk trying to save Ginny," Fred takes over again. "He didn't have to do that. He didn't have to save her. He did that for you, for us."
Ginny's eyes glimmer with tears, but she turns her head away stoically so her brothers don't see them fall. George pulls her into a one-armed hug.
Ron swallows. Hermione looks close to tears.
"Harry's not asking us for much, but by disrespecting his relationship with Holly, you're showing your lack of respect for him. He's taking the time he doesn't have to teach us all Defence. He doesn't have to do that. Only Ginny is really entitled to that after what Malfoy put her through. But he's teaching us all. And balancing stuff like the gym, Quidditch and homework. He's not asking much from you. And if you don't start acting like his friends, he won't want anything to do with you."
"Maybe think about whether Holly is the hill you want to kill your friendship on," Ginny says gruffly. "You'll never mean as much as she does, and you should accept that. Whatever issue you both have about Holly, get over it or forget being friends with him."
His siblings leave Ron and Hermione to wallow in their words as they head off to the respective dorms, leaving the duo exchanging guilty glances.
ooOoo
That night, when Holly slips into her bed, placed specially for her next to Harry, she drapes her new blanket over her, her hospital blanket completely ignored. She slinks closer to Harry, crossing from her bed into his, slipping her hand into his.
"Please wake up, Harry," she begs in a whisper as she does every night. Eventually, her shoulders stop heaving, her sobs abate, and her breathing evens out.
Unknown to her, as it happens every night she's been in the Infirmary, a hand reaches out, adjusts her blanket, and lightly strokes her hair as she slumbers on.
However, this time, a voice whispers above the sleeping siblings as long, spindly fingers trace the glowing green eyes of the silver stag.
"Wake up, Potter. You're making my daughter cry."
ooOoo
"It's ironic, isn't it, that you're hiding in the potions lab now that we're so close to securing your freedom?" Regulus questions lightly as he stands on the threshold of said potions lab.
Sirius's back stiffens, but he answers without turning around, "I'm not sure I believe it."
Regulus isn't surprised by his brother's candidness. He's spent over two years on the run and hiding since escaping Azkaban. Being thrown in prison without a trial and with no one even questioning his guilt, Regulus can well believe that Sirius would have trouble trusting his freedom. Regulus can only plead insanity of the situation back then when he decided he, too, believed Sirius guilty of everything he'd been accused of. Yes, he'd been dealing with his own demons at the time, but …
He's made his apologies and helped Sirius as much as he could. And he's been doing everything in his power to try to prove Sirius's guilt. Back when Harry had sent Sirius to Regulus, explaining his innocence, Regulus trusted the boy more than he trusted himself. Before they fled the country, he'd made discreet inquiries after realising there had been no trial and trying to make that happen would have been equivalent to banging his head against the wall.
Despite his information to the Ministry at the time, Regulus was still considered a Death Eater. He might have had money and status, but he was still either a Dark wizard or a disloyal traitor at the war's end.
With Kingsley's help and Dumbledore's renewed status and backing, they could finally give Sirius the freedom he deserved.
"Fudge is scrambling to mitigate the disaster," Regulus informs Sirius's back, knowing his brother is listening. "He knows he's hanging by a thread and desperately trying to hang onto his position."
"Serves him right," Sirius mumbles. "What kind of idiot decides to put Dementors around a school?"
Regulus makes a mental note to include that in the interview he's planning with the Prophet. Providing the Prophet with a list of Fudge's faults will be immensely satisfying.
"Tell me how you're doing, Sirius?" Regulus asks with a sigh.
Regulus patiently waits for his brother to collect his thoughts.
"I don't know," Sirius admits. He turns around but doesn't look at Regulus. He pauses, clearly trying to find the words he needs to express himself. "You know, I gave up on myself. In Azkaban. I felt like I deserved it. James and Lily were dead because of me. I was guilty of that."
Regulus nods. They've already spoken about Sirius's reasons for switching Secret Keepers. He doesn't offer his brother empty platitudes. No one blamed Sirius for his actions. Only Sirius can work through his guilt. Regulus will insist on a Mind Healer once Sirius is cleared of all charges. Ted will ensure the Ministry pays for all reparations.
"I expected I would die there," Sirius continues. "I kept thinking about Harry, but I trusted Dumbledore would have looked after him. I only gave Harry to Hagrid because he assured me Dumbledore had sent him."
"Albus had the best of intentions, I'm sure," Regulus says evenly. Sirius now knows of Harry's treatment at the Dursley's hand from Dudley's breakdown. "He is only human. He's capable of making mistakes like any other person."
Sirius nods, looking weary. "When I saw Peter on Ron's shoulder, I felt like I was finally awake. I recognised him straight away. The article mentioned the boys were in Hogwarts. I was cognizant enough to recognise that Harry was in school at the same time. I was angry that Peter dared get so close to my godson, and no one knew the danger he was in. Only I did. So, I finally mustered the willpower to escape. And I spent the whole year trying to get that rat. I just – I didn't really think about freedom then. It didn't occur to me that I could have used Peter to secure myself a trial and escape Azkaban legally. I just wanted to kill him.
"It wasn't until Harry was in the Shack and I explained everything – and he believed me – that I actually realised I could be free."
Regulus sighs, letting his brother pour his emotions out.
"I offered him a home," Sirius says suddenly, looking at Regulus with intensity. "I thought he would come away with me. I thought – hoped – we could have been the family we should have been."
Sirius huffs derisively, "He turned me down. He said he'd rather live with his aunt and uncle."
"For Holly and her grandmother," Regulus fills in.
"They must have been really – they must have special for Harry to want to go back to the Dursleys and everything they put him through just so he could stay close to them."
"I don't know about Iris," Regulus admits as he allows a smile to come to his face, "but Holly? Holly's pretty special. You should see them together, Sirius. Their relationship is so pure."
"You – do you think I could have a relationship with Harry too, Reg?" Sirius asks plaintively, approaching his brother.
"You will," Regulus promises.
"Do you think – will we ever have what Harry and Holly have?" Sirius asks, stopping in front of Regulus.
They reach for each other at the same time, embracing like they never have before.
"We will," Regulus promises again.
ooOoo
"Thank you very much for taking time out of your busy schedules, Mr and Mrs Dursley," Martin Phillips greets Dudley's parents.
He allows them to enter his office first and gives a quick nod to Helen Buckley, his secretary, letting her know to bring in the tea set and refreshments. She does so within less than a minute, the tray already set. He dismisses her with a smile, taking over the teapot.
As he goes about the business of preparing the tea, he covertly studies the couple in front of him. It's clear they've both lost weight in recent weeks. Both look ill and particularly in the case of Mrs Dursley, the weight loss seems detrimental to her health.
"Why have you asked us here, Mr Phillips?" Mr Dursley asks brusquely. "Has something happened with my son?"
The man ignores his tea as he stares his son's headmaster in the eyes, looking challenging.
"Nothing has happened to your son, Mr Dursley," Martin assures. Instead, he tacks on truthfully, "In fact, Dudley Dursley is a credit Smeltings."
The couple preen at hearing the son praised, but Mr Dursley still adds abruptly, "You couldn't have said that over the phone? I'm a busy man, Mr Phillips. You know I've had to take time off work to come see you?"
Patiently, Martin explains, "You see, the thing is, Dudley has been so good at keeping up his grades and balancing his boxing training that he's been getting noticed. After all, there is the next Junior Championship match coming up and Dudley's been working very hard with his coach to prepare for it."
"Well, of course," Mrs Dursley inserts, "my Dudley is a hard worker. No one works as hard as my son."
Martin smiles in agreement. It's clear the Dursleys love their son very much. That doesn't seem to be in question. But given what he's heard from Dudley about their treatment of Harry Potter, Martin can say he doesn't have a hard time believing it. When Dudley first came to Smeltings, he'd been horribly overweight for a boy his age. He had been a bully of the highest order, lazy and ran with a group of kids who needed a serious attitude adjustment. With Dudley, there'd been a bizarre paranoia to his behaviour, which Martin only recently found out was due to magic performed on him by a Hogwarts staff member when he'd come to collect the Potter boy.
However, the following year, Dudley's second, it was almost like the boy had a complete personality displacement. There were still behavioural problems, but it was obvious the boy was making an effort to mend his ways. When the school nurse had complained to the boy's parents about this weight and detriment to his health, the Dursleys had made excuses, but Dudley had apparently made a better effort to gain control of his health than his parents did.
Boxing had been the boy's saving grace and his passion. It quite literally saved the boy's life. Iris Pierce, Dudley's neighbour, had undoubtedly been more supportive of the boy's changes than his own parents had. Though they had been proud of Dudley's success, it wasn't due to the health benefits that had been the original intention. It was the acclaim and success of Dudley's hard work that they enjoyed the most. Simply put, the Durselys liked to brag about Dudley's victory but would have made excuses for his failures rather than teach him about sportsmanship.
It was apparent, looking at the Dursleys that they were the traditional, conservative sort. And while Martin respected that, what he didn't support was their methods of child rearing. They had raised two boys in the same household, and their treatment of each couldn't have been more different.
Iris Pierce, whoever the woman was, had much more influence over both boys than the Dursleys ever could.
The Dursleys were the muggle versions of his own parents, who had been Purebloods who looked down on muggles, believing them nothing more than vermin. The only difference was that Martin's parents hadn't thought twice about discarding Martin upon realising their son would never be able to wield a wand, and the Dursleys had done everything they could to try to stamp the magic out of their innocent nephew.
Shaking himself from his thoughts, Martin continues, "As I said, Dudley's getting noticed. Dudley's coach and I have had people in high places approach us for further opportunities to give Dudley a boost in his professional career should he decide to pursue it."
"What opportunity?" Vernon questions keenly.
Martin thinks carefully about how to answer this.
Dudley explained in his last meeting with Regulus how he didn't feel safe at home. Sentiments like that always tugged on Martiin's heart, who also didn't have the best experience growing up. Pureblood parents who had high expectations of having a magical child could be extremely abusive when trying to "coax" magic from their children. And his years on the streets hadn't been free of violence either.
Yet, he'd worked hard to train himself on how to recognise children in similarly horrible situations. The Dursleys were unique in some ways. Martin didn't believe they would ever hurt their own son; however, had it not been for Iris Pierce, perhaps Dudley would have continued down the path of being the golden child who could do no wrong. He'd have been forever dependent on his parents to bail him out of trouble. And they would have continued to do so, not realising it was the worst thing they could do for Dudley.
Instead, Dudley had learned to be a responsible and disciplined young man, able to take ownership of his mistakes and his life. In short, he's a student Martin Phillips can be proud of.
Dudley expressed not feeling safe at home, and Martin can't ignore that, even though he believes the Dursleys would never physically abuse their son as they had their nephew. However, they could emotionally abuse and manipulate the boy to hate his cousin as they had when the boys were younger.
And so here he is, helping Dudley Dursley keep away from his parents. He hopes one day, the Dursleys wake up to their actions before they realise too late that they've lost their son forever.
He presents his plan to the Dursleys.
"As you know, Dudley is only half-board at the school. He returns to you every weekend, which he does so eagerly. After all, who doesn't like to take a break from school once in a while," Martin adds with a smile.
The Dursleys nod with smiles of their own.
"An opportunity has come up for Dudley to take his training further," Martin explains. "He would continue with boxing training with a Youth Club in Slough on weekends. There, he will get additional training that will help him in his career and also train those less experienced lads than him."
"On weekends?" Mrs Dursley says in dismay. "But Dudley comes home over the weekend."
"Hence the reason I've asked for this face-to-face meeting," Martins adds with a sympathetic smile. "I wanted to lay out all the information for you. This is a fantastic opportunity for Dudley. As I said, it would help him further his own training, which is crucial as he'd be working on his training in tandem with Coach Elliot. Coach Elliot has worked with the Slough Youth Club for many years. Also, by training younger students, Dudley would also be able to demonstrate his already excellent leadership skills. Even if he decides not to pursue Boxing as a career, he will gain experience he could put down on his curriculum vitae which would help him find jobs where leadership skills are important."
He knows to a man like Vernon Dursley, leadership means management, which the man believes is highly important. From the way Dursley behaved with Martin's secretary, Helen, the man abuses his position. Dudley, thankfully, is a lot more respectful, and that attitude will have him go far in life. Respect has to be given to be earned. That is not a lesson Vernon Dursley has ever learned.
"What would that entail?" Mrs Dursley asks, leaning forward.
"Dudley would have to become a full board student once more," Martin explains, "however, as these will technically be a school-sanctioned excursion, I would need you to sign some forms for me, basically confirming your awareness that Dudley will be off school grounds."
"Full board again?" Mrs Dursley repeats in dismay. "I barely see him at all on his weekends off, Mr Phillips."
Martin doesn't know what to say to that. Currently, Dudley's status is half-board, and as he's off school grounds, he is no longer the school's responsibility. Dudley can go wherever he wants and it's Dudley's own responsibility to inform his parents of his whereabouts.
Yet, the reason for the current subterfuge is that Dudley no longer wants to spend time with his family at all, and is unwilling to speak to his parents as to the reason why. Whether that's a lack of courage on Dudley's part to stand up to his parents about his cousin's treatment or because he knows arguing with them is futile is Dudley's prerogative.
All Martin needs from the Dursleys is their signature to allow Dudley to leave the school grounds with the knowledge that he won't be returning home. It's not exactly the most ethical of practices, lying to a child's parents, but he's performed similar questionable actions in the past to protect his students in abusive home environments. Coach Elliot is aware of this, and the Slough Youth Club has been the excuse they've always used to help such students.
The best part is this won't be a lie.
Regulus has promised to collect Dudley from the school personally, and if Regulus is unavailable, the other trusted person is Regulus's brother, Sirius, who Martin hopes to meet in person soon.
It had taken some brainstorming, but Regulus had been happy to take Dudley to the Slough Youth Club, which satisfied Martin's conscience a little in regard to lying to Dudley's parents. It just so happens that Dudley won't stay at the Youth Club for long. However, Regulus had also wanted to work out an arrangement for another boy named Draco Malfoy for the next few weeks. The Malfoy boy was the catalyst for Dudley's recent aversion to his parents.
The other boy is currently suspended from Hogwarts until the end of the year, and Regulus wants the boy to experience better consequences for his actions.
Regulus or Sirius would come to collect Dudley from Smeltings on Saturday mornings take both to the Youth Club in question, and Draco would be there on a "volunteer" basis, helping with the cleaning and maintenance of the club. Martin had already spoken to the club's manager to arrange the whole thing. Having similar volunteers like Draco wasn't new to the club.
"It's entirely up to you, of course," Martin adds. He can only sell the concept so much.
"It's just another money-making scheme, Petunia," Vernon scoffs. "You're just trying to have us pay the full board again when our son won't even be on the premises. I know how you administrators work."
Martin holds back a smile, unoffended. With anyone else, he'd try to placate them; however, he happens to know the Dursley's last instalment hadn't been paid in full. He plans to use that to his full advantage to persuade them to give Dudley an opportunity to feel safe.
"Speaking of funds, I have the paperwork here regarding your previous instalment. Even if you decide against returning Dudley to full board, I still would have reached out to discuss some sort of payment plan if you're struggling to pay this term's fee?"
Martin reaches into his drawer and pulls out the relevant forms for Vernon and Petunia Dursley to fill out.
"Vernon," Petunia gasps in shock, seemingly having no idea about the bounced payment.
Flustered, Vernon blusters, "Just an error with the bank, I'm sure. I have no need for a payment plan."
If you're sure," Martin nods agreeably, not pushing the issue. "Dudley should be on his way here now. He seemed very excited to start work with the Youth Club. As for the upgrade to the full board, we can discuss the payments for that, too."
Five minutes later, there's a knock on Martin's door.
"Come in," Martin calls.
The door opens, and Dudley cautiously pokes his head through.
"Come in, Dudley," Martin beckons with a smile.
Dudley enters warily.
"Hi, sir. Mum. Dad," the boy greets guardedly.
Not that his parents notice.
Martin studies the dynamics of the family carefully.
Neither parent notices the boy's reticence, the way he stiffens in his mother's embrace. The way he flinches at the way his father thumps him on the back.
"Take a seat, Dudley," Martin gestures to an empty chair.
"Is this about the Youth Club in Slough?" Dudley asks, already aware of the plan to get him away from his parents.
"Poppet," Petunia begins, "you barely spend any time with us, even when you're home on the weekend. If you become full board again, we won't see you until the Christmas holidays."
"Coach Elliot said this is a really good chance to work with another coach for my next match," Dudley tells her. "If I work in the Youth Club on the weekend for the next few months, I'll have the edge for my next match in March."
"But, Dudders," his mother appeals, not seeing her son grimace at the embarrassing pet name, "don't you want to spend time with us?"
"I want to win my next match, Mum," Dudley says stubbornly. "Besides, I was always going to be full board before we switched after my first year. And this coach I'll be working with, he only does training on the weekend."
"Ricky Doyle only takes on those he believes can go the distance," Martin adds.
Petunia looks confused at the name, whereas Vernon's eyes widen at the name of the famous boxer.
"Doyle? You'll be trained by Ricky Doyle?" Vernon asks, almost excited.
Ricky Doyle is actually a long-time friend of Martin's. They'd met on the streets. Martin had essentially been an orphan but Doyle had come from an impoverished background. He had a talent for boxing and like Dudley, worked hard to be noticed and subsequently made a name for himself. Every so often, he donated his time to various clubs to help train young talent.
Dudley tries to look like this isn't new information.
"Pet, Doyle clearly knows a champion when he sees one," Vernon boasts.
"I'm glad you see the opportunity available to Dudley," Martin adds with a smile.
Petunia Dursley still seems reserved about letting Dudley become a full-time boarder again, but Dudley knows how to handle his parents and manages to talk them around while Martin brings out the forms again. Oddly, Dursley seems cagey regarding paying the school fee and a gut feeling leaves Martin with the impression that Dursley struggling with money more than he's letting on.
Smeltings is a high-ranking independent school, though in a different class than, say, Eton. Unlike Smeltings, Eton does not offer the option of boarding part-time, which helps reduce the fees for parents who want a specific type of education for their children while still living within an easily commutable distance from the school.
Vernon adamantly refuses to discuss a payment plan. Martin knows this is out of pride, as the man tries to save face with his wife and son in the room. Giving Vernon the benefit of the doubt, though resolving to keep an eye on the situation, he lets it go for now.
Thirty minutes later, all forms signed, the Dursleys leave and Dudley shoots one last grateful glance in his direction before heading off to the last of his classes.
Martin knows he can't feasibly charge the Dursleys full-time board when Dudley was not, in fact, going to be a full-time boarder. Already he feels he's acted unethically by lying to them about the whole thing, and he's not going to be even more dishonest and charge them more than he should. The vital part of the entire exercise was to get Dudley permission to leave the premises while letting them believe he was going to stay in the school. Dudley would leave Smeltings every Friday and return Sunday evening. Magical transport means less time on public transport, but that's not Martin's issue either way.
Martin opens his window, and a snowy owl flies in.
"Hedwig, is it?" Martin says mildly as the snowy owl stares at him.
The owl in question belongs to Dudley's cousin, borrowed by Regulus, while the Boy-Who-Lived is still in a magically induced coma.
He sends Hedwig off with a reply to Regulus, putting his misgivings aside about the whole Dursley situation. Dudley feels safe. That's all that matters to Martin Phillips. It doesn't matter that his job is on the line.
ooOoo
Later that evening, an expected knock sounds at Martin's door. He lives in a two-bedroom flat located off campus but still within commutable distance. Though he currently lives alone, the second bedroom is for his son, who's currently working his way through Europe. He left to take a gap year before starting University. That was five years ago, but Martin still keeps Alex's room free for him on his eventual return.
It is after nine in the evening, and he's already eaten and settled in with a good book, having decided to re-read the classic George Eliot book, Silas Marner. It had been his adopted mother's favourite book. Using his mother's picture to bookmark his place, he carefully puts the well-worn hardback on his coffee table and heads in the direction of the front door.
He peeks through the spyhole to check who is on the other side before opening it to greet his visitor with a "Hello, Regulus."
"Thank you for allowing us to visit you so late, Martin," Regulus replies, standing aside to give more space to his companion. Waving at the other man, he introduces, "My brother, Sirius."
"Sirius," Martin addresses with a nod. "Please, come in."
"Thanks," Sirius says, giving him a quick smile.
He leads them through the small hallway to his sitting room. It has a small couch, a coffee table and a TV doesn't have much occasion to use. Most of the time, he has the news on in the background while he reads through a book if he has the energy.
"Can I get you something to drink?" Martin asks.
"Tea, if you're having some," Regulus tells him, "but no need to put yourself out for us."
Martin darts him a quick smile and heads to the kitchen after gesturing for them to take a seat, but they follow him to his small but cosy kitchen.
"Did everything go okay with Dudley's parents?" Regulus queries, though Martin had already sent off a letter confirming no issues earlier that day.
Still, Martin answers as he turns the kettle on and reaches for spare mugs, "Yes. Petunia was reluctant to let Dudley return to full-time boarding, but Vernon and Dudley managed to talk her around. Vernon seemed to happy to have Dudley trained by Ricky Doyle."
"Who's Ricky Doyle?" Sirius asks, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed.
"He's a celebrity boxer," Martin tells him. "Quite famous in the non-magical world. He volunteers to help train youths in boxing when he has time to spare and sees someone worthy of passing his skills on."
"And will they not insist on meeting this man themselves?" Sirius questions.
Martin shrugs, not wanting to get too much into his friendship with Ricky Doyle right then, though he sees no issues.
"Thank you for putting yourself on the line, Martin," Regulus acknowledges. "This must be a difficult situation for you to be put in the middle of."
Martin admits the words go a long way to soothe his guilty conscience regarding the Dursleys.
"Dudley's a good lad," Martin tells them with a smile. "He said he didn't feel safe at home, and I can't ignore that. It's so hard for children in horrible situations to ask for help."
"I wish we'd had a headmaster like you in our Hogwarts days," Regulus says with a shake of his head.
"Regulus," Sirius says with a sigh.
Regulus responds with a sigh and a look of his own. The brothers get into a staring contest and look away from each other at the same time. Martin is left feeling like he's missing some pertinent information.
Tea tray ready, he picks it up and turns to head back to the sitting room.
"Oh, here, I'll take it," Sirius says helpfully, reaching out to take the tray from him. Their hands brush, and the brief contact sends a strange warmth up his arm.
The tray rattles slightly as Sirius blinks rapidly, but neither comment.
Sirius places the tea tray on the small coffee table, and they all sit down together. Martin pours the tea for them all.
"We appreciate all your help," Regulus repeats gratefully as he takes the cup of tea from Martin. "It's taken a lot off all our minds, especially Dudley's. It must have been difficult for you to trust us, considering we're virtually strangers."
Martin admits, "I trusted you quickly because you were Dad's great-nephew. He doesn't often talk about the Blacks, but he talks about you."
"He does?" Regulus questions in surprise.
"He does," Martin confirms. "He never forgot how he was abandoned by everyone in his family. He never had biological children because he didn't want to go back to the wizarding world, and I think he was also afraid he might never see his children again if the rest of the Blacks tried to gain custody."
"Can't blame the man for that," Sirius nods in sympathy. "Our family isn't exactly known for their empathy."
"I'm not going to lie," Martin sighs, "Dad did get angry when you first reached out. But Constance helped waylay his fears. Surprised the heck out of me when they became a couple, but they understand each other."
"I'm glad Marius found happiness," Regulus smiles.
"We are happy. Until Dudley told me he was a squib, I never really gave thought to squibs like him," Martin shares.
"Squibs like him?" Regulus asks with a confused frown.
"Well, there are squibs like myself, Marius, my sister and Constance; we were all born to Pureblood families, children who never manifested magical abilities, so we were lucky in some ways that we were simply discarded, as hurtful as that was, we were still alive. The same can't be said for all families who had squibs in their family."
"Better a dead child than a squib in the family," Sirius adds grimly.
Martin's body language is somewhere between a nod and a shrug.
"But then there's squibs like Dudley and his mother," Martin continues. "They can live their whole lives in the muggle world and not realise what they're missing out on until someone in their family shows signs of being magical. Out of the two of us, I'm not sure whether I'd rather be in Dudley's situation or mine. Dudley's circumstances just make me question that until a muggleborn begins manifesting magic, how many squibs are actually out there?"
Regulus and Sirius exchange glances, looking as if they'd never considered this before.
"And there's the practice of binding a child's magic if their parents don't agree to let them attend a magical school," Regulus adds with a shake of his head.
"I'm glad Petunia didn't know of that," Sirius growls. "Just imagine what she would have done to Harry and his magic. She's spiteful enough to have Harry's magic bound."
"At least Dudley's not inherited that part of Petunia's nature," Regulus mutters.
"Anyway, I'm glad to help those who need it. Dudley has a high opinion of his cousin. When he came to me months ago, he confessed everything his family subjected the boy to. He's been thinking more and more about leaving his family behind permanently. For all their sins, the Dursleys do love their son, whatever they think about Harry. I've told Dudley to think carefully about cutting ties with them permanently."
Sirius looks like he's holding back harsh words about that statement, but Regulus's hand on the man's arm calms him slightly. Sirius only shakes his head in disbelief but lets the issue go.
"Dudley spoke to me about leaving school," Regulus shares. "After Harry getting cursed, I did think about removing him from Hogwarts. I haven't yet decided whether I should enrol him in another school abroad or hire tutors and homeschool him, but I don't want to take any steps until I've spoken to him directly."
"I can understand that," Martin says.
"Dudley said if we leave, he would like to come with us," Regulus continues. "I'm not averse to that, not if that's what Dudley wants. However, he is considered a minor in the muggle world, and I don't want to stir up more trouble if it's not needed. Dudley's a smart young man; his grades reflect that. And he's so dedicated to his boxing training. I believe he would like to become a professional athlete, and I support him wholeheartedly in that ambition."
For confidentiality and ethical reasons, Martin can't share another parent's financial issues (or what he suspects might be financial problems), but he does say, "Dudley should think carefully about his schooling too. In the muggle world, officially, once a person reaches the age of eighteen years, they are considered an adult. However, once they reach sixteen, further education is optional. Dudley will be completing his GCSEs by the end of this year. If he stays on with Smeltings, he can also complete his A-levels while continuing to work with Coach Elliot. He does need to think carefully about how he handles his parents; if he decides to continue with his education, will they be willing to pay for his schooling. Smeltings offers a partial reduction in fees, but we are an independent school."
"We'll pay for Dudley's schooling," Sirius says immediately. Regulus nods in agreement.
"That wasn't what I was aiming for," Martin denies, "but what I am trying to say is that Dudley should continue to study even if he wants to pursue Boxing professionally."
"Regardless," Sirius insists, looking intensely at Martin, "if there are problems with Dudley's fees and his parents refuse to pay, feel free to contact us. Dudley's part of our family now. And we're a new generation of Blacks. Our new tradition is looking after our family, whatever their magical affinity."
Martin is relieved at the support Dudley will be receiving from the Black brothers. He admits he's become protective over Dudley since learning the boy, too, is a squib. Dudley also trusts Regulus and Sirius. Martin knows how valuable a commodity trust actually is.
They pay attention to their neglected teas as the topic turns to the logistics of having Draco "volunteering" at the Youth Club. Martin will try to oversee Draco as much as his schedule will allow him to, but Sirius willingly offers his time to supervise Draco, especially once he's officially pardoned by the Ministry.
Later that night, as Martin returns to bed, his mind drifts to Sirius without meaning to. And the tingle he felt in his hand as Sirius's hand touched his.
ooOoo
Holly's words haven't left his mind for days. They echo behind his Occlumency shields at the most inopportune times. He's not able to sleep for their echoes.
Lucius managed to get through teaching his classes by focusing on the classes themselves. He can't allow himself to show any distractions or weaknesses.
Yaxley and his group have been watching Lucius and Severus intently. Draco might be absent, but Lucius still has responsibility for his friends, having promised their parents he will look after their children.
Mirabel Zabini has retreated to her family home in Italy. The Parkinsons have gone to connect to the Crabbe and Goyle families somewhere in the continent. Theo's father has also gone into hiding. Lucius insisted he not be told any of their whereabouts.
Only the Greengrasses remain behind.
Daphne and Astoria will return to their family over the Winter break, but the other children will stay with Lucius and his family.
However, once he's left to his own devices, Lucius can only think of Holly's words. All of them. What she's said to his face and those he's overheard her telling Harry's cousin.
Lucius has no illusions about himself. He's far from innocent. In his Death Eater days, he's caused much harm and death. He knows he's not a good person. Everything he did during his days as a Death Eater was all to protect his family.
Abraxas had been a bastard of the highest degree. He had been as devoted to his wife as Lucius is to Narcissa, but Lucius had been nothing more than an heir to him. After Lucius's mother died, before Draco turned two, Abraxas had become even more closed off. Lucius did his best to keep his wife and child away from his father, but Draco, for some reason, adored his grandfather. The only Malfoy to mourn Abraxas.
His mother's death had hit Lucius hard. She had not been a warm person, but Lucius had been closer to her than his father.
Shaking off his thoughts of his mother, no better than the thoughts of Holly's words, Lucius decides he needs to do something physical. He wishes he could duel, but he also doesn't want to see another soul right now. Not that anyone sensible would be awake right now, given the lateness of the hour, he thinks as he glances at the clock.
It's rare for him to be so irritated with Severus. The last time he'd been truly angry with Severus had been when he'd said Lucius was not his brother. The words still pierce Lucius's heart when they cross his mind. He never thought he'd ever defend Harry Potter to Severus Snape. Truthfully, he was beginning to get vexed every time Severus badmouthed Harry and blamed the most inconsequential things on him. Lucius gives a rueful shake of his head as he changes into gym wear.
He's already done a workout this morning, but he's feeling restless. Perhaps some cardio will soothe him.
He should be in bed right now, but every time he closes his eyes, he sees Holly's miserable visage. That child! How did she have the power to break him so efficiently?
Lucius heads to the gym, absently noting the quietness of the castle. The lights turn on without him needing to. He heads to the storage boxes and is about to grab the cardio equipment when he sees the one labelled Arena.
It's what the Gryffindor Quidditch team used for their Parkour. With everything that has happened since then, Lucius hasn't been in the mindset to look into that. Deciding to give it a try, he sets it up with his wand. Absently, he leaves his wand next to the storage box and makes his way to the first obstacle. He does a few light stretches to limber up and sets off at a light jog, getting used to moving around the space weaving in and around the various platforms.
He jumps atop one of the platforms, grabbing the bar for support. He climbs up until he gets to the horizontal ladder. Monkey bar, he reminds himself. He's slower than the teens performing on this. But he knows he's so much less experienced than them, so he is content to take it slow.
Adjusting his grip, he makes his way across the ladder until he gets to the end. Instead of jumping off or reaching for the next obstacle, he carefully turns around and makes his way back.
Experimentally, he cautiously tries to work on each obstacle, feeling accomplished after successfully working through each. It's when he's trying to swing from the end of the rings to the vertical ladder that his grip slips. The floor might be cushioned but directly below is a platform, which has no Cushioning Charms. He hits a bar first, hearing the crack of a broken bone before feeling it. He lets out a startled yelp of pain, gritting his teeth and breathing harshly as he tries to control himself.
Painstakingly, he manoeuvres himself into a sitting position, his back against the platform. As he's wearing shorts he can see the swelling from his ankle and the bruises already forming on his shin. He also feels like his knee might be dislocated from the awkward landing.
Lucius blows his breath out slowly, gritting his teeth as he tries to stay still. His wand is across the room where he idiotically left it instead of replacing it back into his holster. Sweat begins to bead his temple as he braces himself to move. He just needs to get to his wand. He can cast a temporary Numbing Charm. Then, he can figure out how to get himself to the Hospital wing.
Just as he's bracing himself to move, he's interrupted by a loud crack that pierces the silence of night. Of course, the safety wards! Harry and Minerva had both mentioned a House Elf would appear first in case of an injury.
However, whatever hope he has of rescue vanishes as he lays eyes on the House Elf in question.
"Dobby!" he whispers harshly.
With a highly visceral reaction, Lucius tries to throw himself away from the Elf, but with the platform behind him, there's nowhere for him to go.
"Get away!" Lucius roars, his breathing harshening, still trying to scramble away, jarring his injured leg even further.
The Elf ignores him and stares, a combination of fear and anger etched on its green face. Dobby watches him silently. His eyes flit towards his wand. Dobby follows the movement, an intrigued look overtaking his features as he turns back to Lucius, seeing him effectively defenceless.
The blond swallows hard, fear etched on his face. Lucius has never felt at someone's mercy as he does at that point.
Dobby raises his fingers, and Lucius flinches. The Elf is free, no longer under Lucius's service, no longer needing to submit to him. Not that it mattered. The Elf knows how to subvert orders and find loopholes. He's already killed Lucius's mother. Now he's going to kill Lucius.
Lucius isn't going to beg a House Elf for mercy. He gives it a defiant look, breathing harshly. He clenches his jaw. The sound of footsteps hurrying towards them catches both their attention. Dobby gives him an unreadable look, prepares to snap his fingers once more and Lucius throws his arm across his face in a futile attempt to protect himself. The Elf will kill him before help arrives.
"Dobby only be following Mistress's orders," the Elf says quietly and clicks his fingers.
Another loud crack, and Lucius flinches so hard he hits his head hard against the platform and falls to his side, unable to keep himself up.
"Lucius," Minerva gasps as she pauses at the threshold and then rushes to his side.
She looks like she's dressed hastily, her usually neat bun hurriedly fixed and in disarray.
"Poppy's on her way," she assures him as she helps Lucius back to a sitting position.
Lucius stares at the place where Dobby once stood.
"Where's the House Elf on duty?" she asks and before she can summon the demon back, Lucius clutches her arm, harder than he intended.
"No House Elf," he says almost desperately. "He was here. He left when he heard you coming. Don't call him back."
She nods slowly, sensing something amiss, but doesn't question him.
"I left my wand there," he pants, pointing in the direction with his free hand, the other still holding tightly.
"All right," she nods. She levitates it over to Lucius, who grabs it with relief, feeling less defenceless already.
He doesn't realise he's still holding her arm as she casts a much-needed Numbing Charm. Poppy arrives within minutes. She immediately begins to assess his leg.
"You'll need a dose of Skele-gro," the Medi-witch mutters, splinting his leg.
Minerva conjures a stretcher, and Poppy levitates him onto it, refusing to let Lucius put any weight on either leg. Unknowingly, he holds onto Minerva's arm the whole way up to Hospital Wing, darting his eyes around in paranoia, his wand clutched in the other.
ooOoo
Holly wakes up suddenly, gasping, "Harry!"
She doesn't see the dark figure sleeping in the chair behind her as she checks on Harry. There's no movement from her brother. Now wide awake, Holly knows it'll be some time before she can sleep again but decides to use the loo.
The ward is quiet as she heads into the loo. However, on the way back is when all the action starts.
Aunt Poppy and Aunt Min come bursting through the door with a stretcher between them. Holly recognises the platinum blond hair immediately.
"Uncle Luc," she gasps.
She rushes to his side or tries to but is grabbed and lifted from behind.
"What happened?" She hears her father's voice demand above her head.
"Just a little accident in the gym," Aunt Poppy answers succinctly. "He'll be fine. Just a dose of Skele-gro and some rest this weekend and he'll be right as rain for classes on Monday.
Uncle Luc looks awful. Pale and shaky, he's holding his wand really tightly in one hand, and the other is holding onto Aunt Min. Aunty Poppy waves her wand, and the socks and trainers disappear, appearing neatly at the foot of the bed. Uncle Luc's foot looks like it's the size of a quaffle.
"I'll have to keep your leg immobilised," Aunt Poppy tells him. "Let's get you more comfortable."
But Uncle Luc fights her, insisting he'd rather stay sitting up.
"You shan't be able to sleep like that," Aunt Poppy says with a frown. "Skele-gro is painful enough without you putting yourself in any more discomfort."
"I'll be fine," Lucius insists, so Aunt Poppy waves her wand to freeze his leg in place.
He looks around the area as if he's expecting someone to jump out at him at any time.
As Aunt Poppy leaves to get some potions, Holly realises she's still in her father's arms after he'd grabbed and lifted her by the waist.
"I want to go down," she says, twisting to look at him.
He looks startled as he realises he's holding her and slowly lets her down again. She turns around to go back to Harry's bed and the Professor doesn't follow her. Reaching Harry's bedside table, she grabs a glass and jug, pouring a glass of water.
She carefully carries it back out, walking past the Professor and to Uncle Luc's side, where he's released Aunt Min's hand to take the goblet of potion, the other hand still holding his wand really tight. She can tell the potion is disgusting from the grimace on his face but he doesn't complain as he downs it in quick gulps.
"Are you sure you don't want to lie down?" Aunt Poppy checks.
"I'm sure," Uncle Luc says firmly.
"Here," Holly offers the glass of water to Uncle Luc. "Harry told me Skele-gro potion is yucky."
"Thank you," Uncle Luc accepts quietly, gratefully chugging it down.
Aunt Min takes the glass from him, sets it down on the bedside table next to him and conjures up some chairs for them all.
Holly ignores the chair and climbs cautiously onto his bed, tucking herself into his side. He automatically pulls her close, his arm protectively around her.
"Are you okay?" she asks. "Did someone hurt you?"
Everyone looks startled at her question.
"No," Uncle Luc answers. "I fell. I was using the Parkour arena. I slipped and fell. It was an awkward fall."
"You're an idiot," she tells him.
"What?" he says stupidly.
"You shouldn't have been using the arena when you've not used it before. Especially alone," Holly lectures.
"Well said," Aunt Min says, looking like she's trying to hide a smile. "It was a silly thing to do."
"It won't happen again," Uncle Luc promises.
"You're cold," Holly comments, holding her uncle close.
Aunt Min conjures a soft, white blanket. It's not as lovely as her new blanket from the UMPA club, but it's good to keep Uncle Luc warm. He is holding her too tightly, almost like he's afraid to let her go, yet Holly doesn't complain. Despite the warm blanket, she could feel him trembling still. It's not a tremble from cold, though. It's like he's afraid of something. His arm around her is like when Harry's trying to protect her from something. Uncle Luc still won't put away his wand.
Her eyes drift shut without meaning to as their murmurs continue above her head.
ooOoo
Severus wants to pick up Holly and return to her bed, but Lucius looks like he needs the comfort of the girl near him.
Looking at his brother, Severus realises he has never seen Lucius in such a state.
Holly's question, an astute one, asking if someone hurt Lucius, was on the mark. However, Lucius doesn't react with fear when attacked; he reacts with anger. Even when they'd been under the Dark Lord's rule, Lucius never showed his fear. Fear would have other Death Eaters circling like Acromantulas after prey.
"What happened?" Severus asks in a low murmur after both Poppy and Minerva leave, the latter sending concerned looks as she exits.
"What I said happened," Lucius sighs wearily.
"Lucius," Severus says warningly.
"Dobby's here," Lucius says abruptly.
Giving his brother a confused look, he questions, "Your old House Elf?"
Lucius glances around the Infirmary with a paranoia that would make Moody proud.
"I don't understand," Severus confesses with a shake of his head.
Lucius hated that Elf. His brother is by no means a kind wizard, but he did treat his Elves, if not warmly but at least cautiously. They did prepare their food, after all. Even Lucius acknowledged the tiny creatures held a lot of power. However, Dobby was the one Elf that Lucius gave some pretty dangerous tasks to. The Elf had initially belonged to Lucius's mother. Abraxas has reassigned Dobby to Lucius after his wife passed and Lucius made the Elf miserable. Wouldn't let it anywhere near Narcissa or Draco.
It took Severus most of that summer, following the Chamber of Secrets incident, to realise that Dobby was no longer around the Manor. Lucius spent most of that summer, having sent Narcissa and Draco to the Malfoy vineyard in France, updating the wards. Had that all been because of Dobby? Surely not?
Unfortunately, Lucius clams up, refusing to say more. There's clearly more to that story than he's been told. Lucius surely can't be afraid of a House Elf? Yet, the way he protectively cradles Holly and the way his eyes dart around the room shows just how much Dobby's presence has spooked Lucius.
Lucius refuses to sleep, though it's obvious he's exhausted, and sleep would be more beneficial. Severus can feel his own eyes drooping. For his brother's peace of mind, Severus adds some Proximity Wards and Alert wards, and the only ward he knows that he keeps House Elves away. He's used to it to keep overzealous House Elves away from cleaning his Potions lab.
Lucius gives him a nod of gratitude. Severus heads back to bed behind the curtain to bring the new blanket, Merlin knows where she got it from, but from the Stag on it, he believes it might be from Potter. There are a lot of things Holly's never shared with him, and it's feasible that it was kept in Potter's dorms, and one of his friends brought it for Holly.
From the look of curiosity in Lucius's eyes, Severus believes the blond has never seen it before, either. Having tucked Holly in and made sure his brother was as comfortable as he could be, Severus finds himself taking bedside vigil over Potter's sleeping form.
ooOoo
Severus wakes up the following day with a crick in his neck, an ache in his back and the faint sound of rustling. Then, there's a low groaning sound. He blearily opens his eyes, wincing slightly at the light.
He wipes the grit from his eyes and sits up, stretching a little.
The groaning gets louder, and the voice suddenly croaks, "Holly."
That wakes Severus up and he remembers he slept by Potter's bedside.
The boy is moving, even in his half-conscious state.
"Potter," Severus begins to say.
The boy doesn't seem to realise where he is. At least not immediately.
"Holly," Potter croaks again.
Green eyes peek through their lids as the boy forces himself into lucidity.
Severus takes a couple of steps towards the curtains and yells, "Poppy." Though most likely, she already has an Alert on Potter's bed to inform her of when he's awake and is on her way.
"Where's Holly?" Potter asks, pushing himself out of bed without removing the blanket. As such, he gets tangled as he tries to move.
Severus quickly moves back to Potter.
"Potter, you need to stay in bed," Severus says urgently, trying to keep the boy still. Despite the week Potter's been unconscious, even with magic, Poppy could only heal so much of his body. Poppy has to apply dittany multiple times daily and change his dressing just as often. Even now, Severus can see blood on the sheets and seeping through bandages and the light pyjama top Potter is wearing.
"She hurt Holly," Potter mutters deliriously, not realising he's talking to his Potions Master.
"No one hurt Holly," Severus assures the obstinate boy, who seems uncaring of the partially healed wounds reopening.
Potter pushes unseeingly at him.
"I need to check Holly. Is Holly okay?"
"Harry," Holly shrieks happily, throwing the curtain aside almost violently. She runs to him.
The sound of her voice snaps the boy into lucidity, and he kneels, as tangled as he is in the bedding, to receive her.
Holly buries her face in the crook of the boy's neck. From the heaving of her shoulders, it's immediately apparent that she's crying. Her arms are loosely held around the boy's shoulders, more mindful of the boy's injuries than Potter himself is.
Lucius, his leg still immobilised, moves to awkwardly get up but is ordered to stay by Poppy, who comes marching out of her room and snaps, "Lucius Malfoy, if you move from that bed, I swear by Morgana I'll put you in a full body bind for the rest of the weekend."
Severus's attention, however, is on Potter and Holly.
Holly spent the whole weekend crying for the boy, waiting for him to wake up. Potter's birdnest hair is limp; he's still bleeding, pale and trembling, yet his entire effort is to hold onto her to reassure himself and her that she's safe.
"You're okay," Potter whispers. "I thought her spell hit you. I thought she hit you. I tried to save you. You're okay."
Holly just sobs harder.
Poppy pauses as she takes in the scene before her. Severus looks up from the children, seeing Poppy and Regulus, who he didn't even realise had arrived.
"Come on, my love," Poppy coaxes, kneeling down to "Let's get Harry's bandages redressed, hm? Then you can both have breakfast together."
Severus and Regulus help Poppy disentangle Potter and Holly from each other. The wizards gently lift Potter back onto the bed. Potter doesn't tear his eyes away from Holly.
Poppy hands Holly over to Severus, pulling the curtains back around them for privacy. Severus carries the still-crying Holly to Lucius's bedside.
Holly doesn't protest or try to move away. She buries her head on his chest, crying tears of relief. Lucius reaches out to stroke the back of her head. Severus holds his daughter tightly to him, happy she's allowing him to comfort her, uncaring for now of Potter's blood on both their clothes.
He begins to comprehend how much power and hatred Draco and Umbridge must have put into their spells to have Potter's wounds still weeping almost a week later. Draco's spell hit Potter full in the chest, as did Umbridge's. Yet the blood seeped through the bandages and spread to the back.
He's starting to realise how close Potter had been to death. How close his Vow had come to becoming obsolete. How close he'd been to losing his daughter forever. If Potter had died, Holly would never have forgiven him. And there's nothing Severus could have done about it.
"He'll be okay," he assures her, still acknowledging the relief that he hasn't failed Lily either.
ooOoo
"Er, Uncle Regulus said it was okay for me to use the gym," Draco says hesitantly, almost stumbling over the skipping rope as he stops abruptly.
Dudley Dursley froze upon seeing Draco occupying the room, so the blond quickly explains his presence, fully prepared to be kicked out.
It's been a whole week since he's seen Dudley Dursley in Hogsmeade. Not that he believes being punched by someone is a proper introduction.
Other Order members aren't really speaking to Draco. They're polite and abrupt, so Draco quickly learned to make himself scarce. It's not a feeling he's ever been familiar with, to be perfectly frank. Yet, he's clever enough to know he's outnumbered here.
Dursley gives him a cold look, clenching his fist before relaxing it deliberately.
"Not my house," the other blond boy shrugs and goes about his business, ignoring Draco completely.
Draco hesitates, wondering if he should leave. By Dursley's stiff back, he can see that the other boy is entirely aware of his presence, try as he might to seem unaffected. Deciding to stay, he continues with his workout.
Apart from his schoolwork, he has nothing better to do. Even though he's only been exercising for a few weeks, it's become a routine. Before, he did it because of Potter; however, watching the Gryffindor Quidditch team perform so well together without brooms had been eye-opening.
Now, he feels he's got a goal he wants to aspire to.
The Gryffindor Quidditch team has been unbeatable since Potter joined as Seeker in his first year. Even Draco could reluctantly acknowledge that, despite protesting out loud that Potter was more hype than anything, the Boy Who Lived is terrific on a broom and a fantastic Seeker, too.
However, after watching the whole team, bar Ron Weasley, perform so seamlessly, he's had to assess his beliefs; if Potter wasn't on the team, they'd still be practically unbeatable.
He knows he's been banned from Quidditch until he starts his sixth year. He also hadn't missed the bit where Dumbledore said he'd have to earn a spot on the team. Though he can't fly while in Grimmauld Place, he can still keep exercising and maintain a good physique to give himself an advantage next year.
The other Order members make their way down into the gym. It's become something most of them do together, apparently. His mother and Aunt come down too, and Draco has to admit it's … weird, seeing his mother in something fitting like second skin. Though the robes or dresses are form-fitting and tailored to their measurements, the leggings and tees the women wear are revealing of every curve.
His mother doesn't seem to be self-conscious of so much of herself being on display. The men's clothes can be just as revealing. Many of them seem to wear vest tops and shorts like Thomas and the others at school.
Muggle clothing isn't new to the wizarding world; though Draco knows some wixen are genuinely clueless about muggle fashion, what his parents wear is usually quite formal.
Draco, too, has become used to wearing shorts and tees.
Everyone who walks into the gym at least acknowledges Draco's presence with a nod before they find a space in front of the equipment Dursley set out.
Uncle Sirius comes bounding in with a ridiculous amount of energy. His physique is quite astonishing for someone who's spent twelve years in prison and two years on the run.
His first year on the run had apparently been spent living wild in the Forbidden Forest in his dog form. His second year away from Great Britain recovering, secretly helped by Aunt Andromeda. Since his return to Grimmauld Place, Potter had been teaching various members muggle exercises in the summer, but once school started, Dursley had somehow taken over training.
The Order members who regularly attended training had become fitter physically and magically. Lupin, who's been drafted as a tutor for Draco in some of his subjects while he's suspended, has been obsessively maintaining records of everyone's physical and magical improvements.
Draco has also been warned never to touch the usually mild-mannered wizard's protein shakes. Chocolate protein shake, Draco corrects himself as he packs away his skipping rope and moves onto Kettlebell swings.
He watches in fascination, in between his own exercises, how Dursley takes training the Order members extremely seriously. Though they attend at the same time, Draco and his friends train separately from the Gryffindors, even as Potter and Thomas dictate the best exercises.
Potter's training is much more relaxed and gentle. He has words of encouragement and infinite patience, plus there's a lot of joking and camaraderie.
Dursley is no less competent than Potter. Like Potter, he'll correct someone's posture and body movements by demonstrating it himself. With Potter, there are more breaks for recovery. Dursley is much more intense. He doesn't joke, though Draco isn't sure if it's because of his presence or due to recent events, nor does Dursley give longer breaks than he needs to.
He is relentless in that he makes every second count for each exercise. Draco finds himself copying much of their exercises, feeling every muscle ache, having spent longer in the gym than he intended.
Mother and Aunt Andromeda make sure to invite him to the kitchen after his shower, where he sits away from Dursley and gets to try his first protein shake (strawberry) laden with a Nutrition potion and a full, hearty breakfast.
"So, Sirius," Dursley asks with a small, pleased smile, "what's the first thing you want to do when you're officially free?"
Sirius thinks about it, his smile becoming thoughtful.
"I don't know," he says pensively. "I had so many thoughts about what I would do that I never really actually gave serious consideration. I think I just like the idea of going for a walk somewhere without worrying about getting caught or recognised."
"What about the muggle world?" Dursley asks with a thoughtful frown. "Your picture was released in muggle world, but it was from when you were in prison. I remember in the photo, your hair was up to your elbow and really messy, you looked really ill, and your beard was all dirty. You didn't look anything like that when I first met you. You could have gone anywhere without muggles recognising you, couldn't you?"
"I could," Sirius admits. "But the danger was Wixen recognising me. It wasn't something we could risk. Now, with my trial coming soon, I know Dumbledore and Regulus will make sure I'm acquitted. They'll have to tighten security to include Animagi, and I could be in trouble for being unregistered, but given that I was in prison for 12 years, they could count that as time served, but they're still more in the shit than I am for never having given me a trial in the first place."
"Well, I'm glad you're free," Dursleys beams. "It will take a load off Harry's mind, too."
"It will," Sirius agrees.
Draco ducks his head even though no one looks in his direction.
"We should go out and celebrate your freedom," Tonks adds. "Pub crawling or something."
They laugh.
"Once Harry's out of school for winter break, we could all have a meal somewhere," Sirius says. "In full view of hundreds of people where I don't have to disguise myself as a dog or dye my hair."
"Oh, no, Sirius. How will we ladies in Yoga classes cope without our beloved Paddy?" Aunt Andromeda teases.
"Well, I'm sure I can make an exception for those," Sirius grins, winking at his cousin. "Can't disappoint the ladies. Just keep me away from the crazy brunette who keeps trying to walk away with me."
"Merlin," Mother laughs, shaking her head. "That woman is delusional." To Tonks and Lupin, she says, "The number of times that woman has tried to walk away with Sirius, calling him her beloved Badger. She's shown us pictures of her dog Badger, it's a little Yorkie."
Tonks sputters in laughter, spitting her drink in front of her. Lupin hands her a napkin.
"Anyway, now that the prison has been attacked and you don't have to worry about patrolling there anymore, has Dumbledore said where he wants the efforts to be?" Sirius asks, changing the topic altogether.
"He's regrouping now, I reckon," Lupin answers, pouring himself another protein shake from a jug no one else dares touch. "He had us guarding the ... place in Ministry for part way through summer before deciding it was no longer needed. Now, with the Dementors out of Azkaban and Voldemort's loyal broken out of prison, there's no need to patrol the Scottish borders anymore."
"Director Bones is paying top galleon on overtime," Tonks adds, looking at Sirius. "Shack and I might not be as active in the Order for some time."
"Fudge finally relented with the budget?" Sirius asks sardonically.
"He's got no choice," Tonks mutters darkly. "He's hanging by a Kneazle's whisker. He's throwing money around to show he's taking this seriously. He was already taking flak for Umbridge, and then this happened."
"Couldn't happen to a more deserving individual," Lupin says.
"Any further news on Umbridge?" Aunt Andromeda asks, a dark look on her face, matched by many of the occupants.
"Bones is keeping Umbridge under lock and key," Tonks informs them. "She won't let anyone but Shack near her, and he's been ordered to keep everyone away."
Draco knows Uncle Regulus has been wreaking havoc all week, ensuring Umbridge is punished accordingly. Azkaban might be without Dementors, but Draco doubts it'll be any less pleasant an atmosphere, not when Dementors had been guarding the prison since time immemorial.
"Shack had to put on a Silencing ward on Umbridge's cell," Tonks continues. "The toad just won't shut up and tried to blackmail three Aurors into releasing her."
"Is it true, then?" Lupin asks, looking at Tonks in surprise. "Does Umbridge actually have blackmail material on the Ministry?"
Tonks sighs and answers, "Unfortunately, yes. Bones had sufficient cause to get a warrant to search Umbridge's home. She had some wards around her house and some around her hidey holes, but they were really obvious, so the team broke through them quickly enough. If not else, the toad's meticulousness made it easy to go through her files."
Tonks performs a full-body shudder.
"That bad?" Dursley asks with raised brows.
Tonks repeats her full-body shudder in answer.
Mother clears her throat delicately and hesitantly says to Dursley, "Has your headmaster mentioned whether he would be willing to have dinner with us, Dudley?"
Dursley freezes at being addressed by Draco's mother. He noticed his mother had been trying to get the boy's attention the whole time in the gym, but Dursley had been polite, verging on cold.
"No," Dursley answers monotonously, though Draco sees the sadness flash in the other boy's eyes.
The atmosphere turns awkward.
"Dudley-"
Whatever his mother is about to say is lost to Regulus's unexpected arrival and even more unpredictable and breathless announcement, "Harry's awake."
The sudden uproar of excitement and relief has Draco shrinking back in his seat, even as he feels relieved at the news.
ooOoo