Monday 14th December 1981
St Mungo's, 08:00
Chryssie and Severus were currently having a stare off. Or a glare off. Whatever it was, they weren't speaking to each other but they were looking right at each other. Stubbornly. Neither of them willing to budge. She didn't know why he wasn't nudging because she was the one who was in the right here. And he knew it!
"I'm fine, you know." Severus finally broke the silence with an exasperated tone.
Chryssie remained unimpressed. She even crossed her arms.
"You are not a Healer."
"Technically, neither are you."
Oh, that was a low blow and he knew it. She crossed her arms and glared at him. For a split second, he looked repentant. Only for a split second though and then the stubborn tilt of the chin came back in full force.
"At least Healer is in my title."
Yes, it was prefixed by Trainee but still.
"But you aren't my Healer. So, I don't have to listen to your medical advice."
"But I am your fiancé," Chryssie said triumphantly. "Which means you have to listen to me."
Severus rolled his eyes at her but he didn't deny it.
"That means you have to listen to me as Well!"
Chryssie didn't seem to like him pointing that out. What, did that only work one way? Did he only have to listen to her and not the other way around? He believed he remembered Gavin joking about Rosemary like that. He briefly closed his eyes as he felt the pang at remembering the Evans'. Their death hadn't been fair. Hadn't been fair at all. And he missed them so much.
"Can't you listen to me and believe me when I say I'm fine?" He tried.
"No."
"No? What do you mean, no?"
"I mean that I don't believe you."
Severus made an impatient noise and tried to swing his legs around but was blocked from doing so by her.
"Can you just stay in your bed until the Healer does their rounds? Is that really so hard?"
He let out an impatient sigh and fell back against his pillows, arms crossed. He looked like a silly child and she told him so. That didn't seem to improve his mood any. Whatever. She was beyond caring at this point.
"You still haven't told me what happened." She pushed.
And she really wanted to know, especially since he wasn't exactly forthcoming with the information
"The potion I was brewing exploded. I've already told you and every single Healer that. And I told you the ingredients I was using."
"But were you distracted or did you make a mistake?" She prompted, worried.
Maybe with all this going on with Sirius it wasn't a good idea to being doing something as dangerous as experimenting with potions. They were all worried and tired as it was.
That got her a glare. "I don't make stupid mistakes."
"I didn't say you did, I just-"
"Think I'm incompetent."
"What? No!"
"You Do! You think I screwed something up!"
"You're experimenting, Severus! The very nature of your work means that you aren't going to get things right every single time!"
"Fine! I screwed up. Happy?"
"No! Because you got injured! You're meant to have protections put in place to stop something like this from happening!"
That's what she was upset about. The fact that it appeared he didn't have such things in place. His robes were there to protect his skin. They were good ones. Tough ones. The only part of him they didn't cover were his hands and his face. They even had cuffs so that his wrists weren't exposed. They had been a gift from Sirius and James two years ago. They were excellent robes. Maybe even the best. He couldn't have shield charms over his cauldron because some potions - and ingredients even - reacted poorly to such magic. But he also had cushion charms on surrounding furniture and surface in case an explosion happened and he was going back from his cauldron. As the name of the charm suggests, they would cushion his fall.
He glared at her some more and then let his head fall back on the pillow, mumbling something.
"What was that?" She demanded, crossing her arms.
He closed his eyes before replying, "I didn't have my robes on."
She blinked at him. He cringed.
"What?"
Because there was no way that she heard him right, did she? She could feel her anger rising and took several deep breaths. She couldn't scream at a patient. She couldn't scream at a patient.
Okay, she was feeling much better now that she had stepped away and taken a few deep breaths. And processed things. And taken a few more deep breaths. Glaring at herself in the mirror in the toilets had helped as well. Did she wish that she could be glaring at her stupid fiancé? Absolutely. But she couldn't do that because if she saw his stupid face right now then she would end up shouting at him. And there was no shouting at patients. Even when she wasn't working. Argh.
Why did he have to be so stupid? Why did he forget? Then he wouldn't be in this whole situation in the first place and they wouldn't be shouting at each other. Oh! It was all so stupid.
She paced back and forth a bit more, trying to get all her frustration out. She did want to go back and see him, make sure be was really okay, but not like this. They would just end up shouting again if she went back like this. Oh, she hoped that none of her colleagues and seen her freak out on Severus. They wouldn't let her live it down if they did. Meek and mild Chryssie actually has a roar, they'd probably say. They were always teasing her like that. Sometimes she wished she had a bit of Lily's sarcastic wit so she could give it back to them but she wasn't like her sister. They were different.
A few more deep breaths and she found that she was feeling much better. Lighter. There was still some annoyance lingering. She still thought that Severus had been silly. But What was done was done. It couldn't be helped now and shouting certainly wasn't going to fix the past, she should know that by now. So, she was going to go back and be happy that he wasn't injured that badly.
She strode purposefully around the corner only to shriek as she was grabbed by the elbow and dragged into an alcove. Thankfully, she realised that it was Severus before she screamed for help. That would have been embarrassing. From the look on his face, Chryssie was pretty sure it wasn't for some covert snogging time. Not that she would ever do that in her place of work. Oh no, definitely not.
It didn't stop the naughty hope that it did happen. At some point. Maybe not now because of the whole Severus just having been injured and is now in recovery thing. It didn't seem right to do it when he was like that. Not that they were doing it! They weren't!
Why was she even thinking this? He wasn't even supposed to be out of bed yet!
"What are you doing? You haven't been released yet!"
"Healer did her rounds when you went to the loo," he said with a far too smug look on his face. "I'm a free man."
She rolled her eyes at his antics. Honestly, you would have thought he was strapped down to the bed the way he was talking.
Thursday 17th December 1981
Tonks Home, 17:30
Andromeda ran a hand down her face, a thoroughly exasperated look on it and looking scarily like Dora and Sirius. The Black genes really were strong. Why was be even thinking that at a time like this? That was hardly something that he should be focusing on. But still. Andromeda and Dora looked an awful lot alike, there was no doubt about that. Did that mean that Teddy was going to look more like them as he grew? Dora insisted that he looked like him bit Remus wasn't so sure. Not that it really mattered but genes were fascinating.
But none of this was what he should be thinking of right now. Especially when Andromeda was looking like that. Was it too late to leave? It felt like it would be safer if he just left.
"Let me get this right," she finally said, looking at each of them in turn.
Remus wasn't sure what the rest of them were thinking but he was suddenly extremely aware of the fact that Andromeda Tonks was a very good solicitor and was known for getting every, little detail she could.
"Let me get this straight," she repeated as they all shuffled nervously.
She then proceeded to list all the research they had done on the Wizangamot and the court system, what Moody had given them, what they had pieced together on what might have happened, their reasons and some of hers on why Sirius could not have done all of what he was accused of and their research on Azkaban. Though, that last point had had very little as there just wasn't that much readily available on the subject.
They were all nodding along in agreement, albeit looking a little sheepish. It was an awful lot of research that didn't seem to go anywhere, after all. She was giving them an increasingly exasperated look.
Severus opened his mouth like he wanted to explain their thinking but was shot a look that would make the Great Lake freeze solid. He shut his mouth so quickly that Remus swore he heard an audible 'click'. Was it bad that he was actually kind of glad that even Severus was intimidated by her? The man who was rarely intimidated by much of anything.
"And you've been focusing on all these laws and Azkaban and can't think where to go next! You've managed to research in circles!"
Somehow, Remus thought that that didn't require a response either. Thankfully, no one bothered trying this time and let Andromeda continue. It was becoming more like a rant now instead of just listing what they've done. She hadn't come right out and said it but he was pretty sure that the tho8ght that they were all daft was heavily implied.
"Did I get everything?" She finally finished up.
Remus heaved a sigh of relief, he thought that she was going to go on forever. He didn't even process what she said.
"Yes?" Dora squeaked out.
Which he would normally find amusing because she was usually so sarcastic with her mother. But he was currently terrified as well so he really wasn't in a place to talk. A quick glance around everyone proved that they were all feeling the same.
Andromeda looked thoroughly unimpressed and Remus braced himself. What he was bracing himself for, he wasn't sure. He just somehow knew that he needed some form of protection for whatever was coming next. Hey, it was either brace himself or take cover under the nearest thing he would fit under. And he was a Gryffindor so there would be no taking cover. For now, anyway.
"Are You all idiots?" She hissed.
Yes, actually hissed at them. He was unashamed to admit that he flinched. Mainly because everyone else did as well. That hiss was terrifying.
"Um, yes?" He was ashamed to admit that that left his mouth as a squeak.
Hey, what would you do if Andromeda Tonks was glaring at you like that?
Friday 18th December 1981
Azkaban, early afternoon
Sirius was starting to understand how this Dementor thing worked. Beyond the theory you were taught in DADA and the Auror Academy. Because of course they never exposed you to an actual Dementor. That was for criminals. Well, he was getting practical experience right now, after all. The best kind of experience, right? Yeah, he would have preferred to stick with the theory, thanks.
A happy thought, any happy thought at all, even one that made you briefly smile, the Dementors took from you. Just like that. Sure, the memory came back, or maybe it was always there (he didn't understand how the brain worked, he was no Healer) but the feeling, that happy, joyful, warm feeling you got from it? That was gone.
So, happy thoughts weren't going to work. Obviously. There was nothing happy enough that was stronger than a Dementor. Or maybe there was but he didn't have such a thought or memory. And had tried. With Hogwarts memories. Marauder memories. Marlene. Cassie. No. None of them worked. In fact, it made it worse. The Dementors took them from him.
He couldn't let all the bad memories take over. He just couldn't. He'd go mad and he didn't want to go mad. He didn't want to lose his sanity. Because that's what people in Azkaban did. Went insane. He was terrified of going insane.
Potion's Lab, 15:00
Severus decided that now that all of the legal things about Sirius' case was now officially out of their hands, that he could get back into brewing again. Properly into brewing because him brewing the potions that Master Andrew set did not count. That was what was expected of him and he always did what was expected. No. Properly brewing to him meant his research. His experimentation.
Had he sort of already started doing that again? Yes, sort of. Enough to satisfy his Potions Master. Granted, that's what got him sent to St Mungo's in the first place. Kind of. That experimentation was under the instruction of Potions Master Andrew. He was talking about his own research. His own experimentation. For his projects. His projects. No one else. Something that would secure him his Potions Mastery.
Chryssie shook her head in exasperation at him as he darted between all of his notes and shuffled them around. But he caught the smile on her face. She was happy for him. Even if he did have to be reminded that he needed food. Preferably with her.
Sunday 19th December 1981
Auror Office, 10:30
"I don't understand. Why did you give us that information on Sirius?"
It had been bothering her ever since it happened. Moody was an Auror. A really good one. Surely, he shouldn't be subverting the whole legal process like this? Okay, technically she and Marlene were but they were different. They were his family. His cousin and basically his wife. Moody was neither of those things.
Moody rolled his eyes, actually rolled his eyes at her. Probably because this wasn't a proper excuse to not do work or something. Look, he was the one who stopped the spell casting practice because she'd been distracted.
"Use your brain, lass. Why do you think I did?"
"I don't know!" She exclaimed, beyond frustrated.
"Well, I'm not going to do any thinking for you."
Couldn't he just this once? She was tired and aching and frustrated. He could help out just this once. Surely that would be fine? It wasn't like she didn't have a brain or anything, it was just that it wasn't giving her the right answers at the moment. Or any answers.
Why couldn't things be east for a change? Hadn't things been difficult enough? Couldn't he spoon-feed her just this one? It couldn't hurt.
She buried her head in her arms and made an exasperated noise. Or a quiet scream. Either worked and let her get out some frustration. When she looked up, kind of hoping that that would have some effect on Moody, all she saw was him looking at her with one raised eyebrow, completely unimpressed.
"Come on," he said impatiently. "You have more than one brain cell. Use It!"
She was very tempted to tell him that she didn't want to or tell him where to shove it but thankfully she actually used her brain.
She then decided to keep using her brain and actually think about what Moody had told her to do. He had given her the details of Sirius' detainment. His lack of trial. Copies of the actual document. An original document in one case. That apparently hadn't been missed. Some memos. All proof that something hadn't been done right. Nothing had been done right.
And he hadn't brought them to anyone official. No one of authority. He had brought them to her. Well, to them. Those closest to Sirius. Because... Oh, think Dora. Think.
Then she gasped and Moody looked like he couldn't decide whether he was exasperated or pleased. Dora didn't care right now because she was pretty sure that she had figured it out.
"Couldn't you have just told me that you believe he was innocent?" She complained.
Why all this cloak and dagger stuff? He trusted her, didn't he? That's why he did all this? He raised an eyebrow at her.
"And that you thought that the ministry was going to do nothing," she begrudgingly added, knowing that he didn't like it if she left detail out.
And that was technically a very important part of it. You know, considering he was an Auror and everything. He was kind of expected to go to a higher authority over something like this. But he hadn't. Thankfully. It would have been buried otherwise. She was sure of it.
"Where would the fun be in that?"
Was he actually smirking at her? Oh, he sucked. Really, really sucked.
"I really hate you sometimes, you know that?"
"Get in line."