Just Around the Riverbend

IT'S FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING AND I CAN'T SEE THE SCREEN CORRECTLY.

But on the bright side my vision stayed long enough for me to finish this chapter. I love every single one of you that reviewed, an normally I at least go back and acknowledge them, but I have to go to work in a few hours, and if I don't get at least a little sleep, I'm going to die. So I'll double back next chapter and acknowledge you, but for now, I bid you farewell, and hope you like this chapter. it's extra long to make up for the absence.

Shwah!

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“And that’s the whole story.”

Kingsley Shacklebolt sat at his desk, his mouth slightly open, with a completely shocked look on his face. In front of him was Severus Snape and Lucius Malfoy, a diabolical duo to say the least. The oddest part was a giraffe-toting toddler hanging on to Severus’ leg like a lifeline. His son, Cole, who had been left to him only a few days ago when his mother had been killed. And Miss Granger had only been helping him get things for the baby. It sounded like something Hermione would do…

“And you’re sure you want to cross her? She’s not exactly known for backing down when someone ruffles her feathers. She’ll strike out again.” Kingsley said.

“That’s why we need your help, Minister. We need to take that slanderous bitch down once and for all. She’s crossed me for the last time.” Lucius hissed.

“And how exactly does this involve you?” Kingsley asked.

“She wrote that insipid article about my dear little cousin. And, Hermione has become part of my household. And to insult my employee is to insult me.” He said calmly.

“Part of your…”

“She is a paid companion of my cousin.” Lucius interrupted.

“Ah. A respectable job. Very well. I’ll call her on it. I’ve been waiting for someone with enough chutzpa to come down here and actually ask me to charge her.” Kingsley said, a rather evil looking smile crossing his dark face. “Since she cited no proof in her little article, it is malicious libel with the intent to harm one’s reputation. It’s enough to let her cool her heels in Azkaban and it should be enough to convince the courts to put her out on her arse and out of the papers.”

There was a loud gurgling sound, and three heads faced the small boy in Severus’ arms. Cole gave a tiny whimper, one of the only sounds he’d made since he came, and buried his face into his father’s chest.

“I must go. Thank you for your time, Kingsley.” Severus said, and turned to go. Kingsley gave him a warm grin.

“Of course. And Severus?” The black-eyed wizard faced him again. “Take care of your boy. I think this is a wonderful opportunity for you.”

“Oh I plan on keeping him safe. Including his reputation. And what’s left of mine.” Severus said, and billowed out of Kingsley’s office.

Cole’s tummy rumbled again, and the boy whimpered once more. It was a most pitiful sound, and more heart-wrenching than a solid cry. As soon as Severus was past the Ministry’s anti-apparition wards he disappeared in a clap of thunder, appearing in the middle of his sparsely decorated living room. He put Cole down on the floor.

“Come now, Cole, and we’ll eat lunch.”

The boy toddled along behind his father, watching silently as he retrieved a few ingredients to make them a simple lunch. After their meal Severus went to the living room, and sat in his favorite thinking chair, a soft old reclining chair that gave him his best ideas. As soon as his bottom hit the chair he felt a tug on his leg, and saw Cole standing there, his arms up.

“What do you want?” he asked. Cole closed and opened his hands a few times, a determined look on his face. “Do you not talk at all, my son? What is it that you want?” he asked again.

“Pa!” Cole squeaked. Severus leaned forward, and picked his son up, settling him down on his lap. But Cole would have none of that. He promptly leaned on his side and cuddled up to his father, getting into a good position for a nap. “Pa.” he cooed softly. Severus put his large hand on his son’s small back. He reclined the chair, letting out the leg-rest and leaning back.

“Very well. A nap it is.” He said gently.

~~

Phelan sat in the garden house, staring at a patch of ceiling that had long since rotted away. He could have sworn he saw a squirrel looking back at him.

“God help you, you little furry bastard, if you ever come down into the actual house. I will shove a stick up your arse and roast you fur and all.” He growled up at the bare patch.

Damn it! This was unlivable. He’d damn near frozen the night before because his warming spells kept dispersing in the open air. This damned place needed a lot of work, and Phelan had never been one to sit back and suffer needlessly. He began cleaning up the junk in the old house, getting rid of furniture that was too rotted to even contemplate repairing. He ripped down the old curtains and removed the musty bedding, wincing at the state of the mattress he’d been sleeping on.

Everything that could be salvaged was put into a pile. Everything else was burned. The rotted wood made for a stinking fire, but a fire nonetheless. He searched the house until he found tools and the like, and even an old sewing kit that had once belonged to the Mistress of the Grounds.

The first order of business was to fix the roof. And the first step to fixing it was ripping off the old stuff. A questionable looking ladder was found, and he carefully climbed up to begin ripping off the old bundles of thatch. It wouldn’t have been so bad had he not been attacked by three squirrels at once when he moved the first bundle. He gave and uncharacteristic shriek and jumped from the ladder. He laded hard on his feet and rolled, throwing one of the creatures off of him. He immediately shifted to wolf form, and caught another by its leg as it attempted to flee. He had a mid-morning snack of squirrel.

Fortunately the rest of the roof came off without any other critters to attack him, and his next task was to gather up new material to redo the new roof. That took several hours to accomplish, and another to prepare what he had gathered. He worked quickly and efficiently, his Lycan strength and endurance giving him a leg up to help him complete the roof as the sun began to fall. But he had used up so much energy fixing the damned roof. His stomach growled angrily at him as he shifted the last bundle of thatch into place.

But he wasn’t a stranger to going to bed hungry, so he climbed down and entered the newly roofed hut, grinning when he couldn’t see through the ceiling.

“Damn it I’m good…” he said. He went fiddling about with things around the tiny house, fixing furniture that he could, and replacing the old rotten curtains with slightly fresher ones he’d found in an adequately sealed chest in a closet.

He was almost startled to hear a knock at the door. Drawing his wand quickly, he went to the door and opened it. He was not expecting to see Malfoy’s cousin standing there, a basket in one hand and a shrunken suitcase in the other.

“What are you doing here?” he asked gruffly. Daisy flashed him a grin and walked into the house uninvited. She sat the basket down on the little round dining table and opened it up. Phelan was immediately hit with the smell of food, and found his mouth watering. She began pulling several containers of food out of the basket, and finally a few plates and some silverware.

“I brought you some food. And some things to make this place less of a dump.” She said, moving her bag to the counter. She pulled out several shrunken items, and began to resize them as Phelan sat down to eat. There was cleaning supplies in a neat little basket, some fresh sheets and curtains, and even-

“Is that a mattress?” Phelan asked incredulously.

“If you want to sleep on the floor that’s fine, but when my cousin said that this place had been abandoned for years, I thought you might need a new one out here.” She snapped. Phelan narrowed his eyes at her. The little human had spunk…

Phelan ate his fill of the food that Daisy had brought, and watched as she packed the rest away and put it under a stasis spell so that he could eat in the morning as well. Then she helped him change the mattress and put down new bedding. Once that was done, she gathered up her empty basket and started to leave.

“This doesn’t make us even.” Phelan said suddenly. Daisy turned to him and scoffed.

“Well no duh!” she snarked, and left immediately. Phelan growled under his breath.

“I suddenly won’t regret ripping out her vocal chords…”

~~

Daisy walked back up to the Manor feeling very good about herself. She had shown that grey-haired psycho that she wasn’t to be trifled with, and she had also shown him a little kindness. Being American in a British world was so much freakin’ fun.

She entered one of the back door’s of the Manor and started back up to her room. It had been a long day, and she was quite interested in nothing more than sleeping. But she was startled when she found her cousin waiting for her in her sitting room.

“Where were you?” he asked, but something about the way he asked it let Daisy know that he already knew, but wanted to hear it from her.

“Uh…I went down and took Phelan some food.” She said softly.

“I already told you that he isn’t some trifling little teenager to be messed around with. But you disobeyed me. I had been planning on giving you a stern talking to for your transgression in Diagon Alley, but I see your forward behavior cannot be fixed with words.” He said, and stood from his seat on her sofa. Daisy was taken aback, and stood wordless at the door. “Go to your room and change into a pair of shorts. I will be there in ten minutes, and not a second more to deliver your punishment.” He added calmly, and walked past her out of the room.

Daisy felt her heart sink into her stomach. She knew her cousin had told her to be careful around Phelan…but she couldn’t let him starve. He had no groceries down there, and she wasn’t sure if he knew how to hunt.
She walked silently to her room, feeling butterflies start to upset her tummy. She hadn’t been struck by her cousin before. She’d only ever been hit by that French fuck Jacques here, and it had been humiliating and painful. That fact that her cousin was having her change into shorts was promising. Perhaps he wouldn't make her pull her pants down. But that also meant that he would have to use something that inflict pain more sharply to drive the point home. She was frightened.

She changed into some sleeping shorts that her cousin had gotten for her, and waited in her sitting room for him to return, shifting nervously on the edge of her seat. When he finally re-entered the room, Daisy drew a shuddering breath. He was holding a long slender cane in his hand.

“You’re…you’re not g-going to hit me w-with that are you?” she asked.

“I think we need to talk before this happens.” He said, watching as her eyes dilated in fear. He walked over to the sofa and placed the cane on her coffee table, and sat on the sofa next to her. “When I tell you something, Daisy, I’m not talking for my own amusement. I expect you to listen to what I say, and obey accordingly. I only want good things for you, my little cousin, but you are sabotaging yourself every time you disobey me. Do you understand what I’m trying to tell you?” he asked.

“Y-yes sir.” She said, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Have you ever been caned?” he asked.

“No sir. Daddy either used his hand or a paddle.” She shivered.

“I do believe this will be quite effective.” Lucius said. “You will receive six strokes with the cane, and then you will go right to bed. I will see you in the morning for breakfast, and we’ll start on a clean slate.” He said. Daisy nodded, but she began to tremble harder when he stood and retrieved the cane. “Stand up, Daisy.” He ordered softly. Daisy stood, her head lowered in fear and a hint of shame. Lucius reached forward and tipped her chin up, looking her in the eyes. Daisy saw no anger or malice in his cool blue eyes, and she relaxed a little to know that he wasn’t angry with her.

“I want you to put your knees on the sofa and grasp the back of it.” He told her. Daisy complied, and readied herself to take her punishment. “Are you ready?” he asked. Daisy took a deep breath, and nodded. She jumped when she felt the small instrument touch her clothed bottom, and tensed a bit when she felt it removed.

There was a small whistling sound, and the wood struck her bottom with a muffled crack. At first she gave only a small gasp, surprised that the blow hadn’t hurt so badly. But then the aftershock hit her, and her gasp turned into a shaky groan. The second blow stoked the fire, and she felt her tears fall in earnest, though she tried not to cry out. The third strike was terrible, and she began to cry softly, her back arching slightly to bow her away from the blows. Number four was nigh unbearable, and she began to shake with sobs, her fists curling up into balls. The fifth stroke was placed a little lower towards her thighs, and she cried out sharply. The last stroke was the worst by far. It was delivered with slightly more force, and its aftershock was sharp and painful.

“Stand up, Daisy.”

She stood from her position, and immediately launched herself at her cousin, wrapping her arms around his waist and surprising the hell out of him. Draco had never hugged him after a punishment.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so, so, so sorry!” Daisy sobbed, burying her face in her cousin’s chest. He gingerly put his arms around her, stroking her hair as he did so.

“All is forgiven, dearling. Now it’s off to bed…” But he was not done being surprised for the night, as Daisy looked up at him, her face stained with tears, and sniffled.

“Will you tuck me in?”

He stared at her for a moment, before smiling gently, and nodding. She let go of his waist and walked slowly to her bedroom. Lucius followed her, waiting politely outside her door as she changed her shirt into something appropriate for bed. When she called for him, she was already getting into her bed, this time starting on her stomach. Lucius pulled the downy covers up around her, tucking her in. He didn’t resist the urge to lean down and kiss her forehead gently.

“I really do care for you.” He told her in a low voice. She gave a shaky smile, and snuggled closer into her pillow.

“I know. And I care for you as well.”
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Aww...she had to be punished, but I got to share a little bit of fuzzy Lucius as well. But he told me if I shared with too many people he'd string me up and beat me. I told him to stop teasing me and do it. ^_^

I hope you all decide to review! Now if you'll excuse me I must sleep as soon as I press the 'add chapter' button. And that is...now!