Dearest Harry - Eileen's Story

This bit of the story has more twists and turns than a twisty turny thing. There is another cliffhanger in this chapter, if it bothers you please wait until tomorrow for the next bit

Thank you Claudia for improving this beyond all measure>


Thirty Four


The crowd at the Ministry did not seem to be thinning out at all and they had been here for hours now. This was what bureaucracy did for you it seemed, it made your life dreary and hellish.

When Severus saw Lupin approaching out of the corner of his eye, he felt a moment of panic. Would the werewolf remember that Severus had cried all over him? He hoped not! He was not planning on talking to Lupin about that or anything else anytime soon, that was for certain.

Surely the man would realise that Severus had been affected by the Dementors? That it was the emotionally draining effect of the mist that they generated that had made him lose control like that. Even Muggles felt it apparently, so Severus was obviously no exception. They had been lucky after all. Harry seemed to have an early warning system when it came to Dementors. Severus knew without a shadow of a doubt that if it were not for Harry people would have died today. He had given them enough warning to be able to flee had and then formed a small army to deal with the attack.

Lupin, having spotted him, was on his way over. Severus wondered whether he should go and check on Harry. But for a man who had obviously been concussed Lupin moved very fast. Werewolves had phenomenal abilities for recovery it seemed and before Severus could move away, Lupin was beside him

“Severus,” he said mildly, a small smile on his lips, as he spoke. “I wanted to thank you for helping me earlier, without your assistance. I…I may well have died.”

“On the contrary Lupin, I am sure you would have been absolutely fine!” Severus replied shortly. “You do have an unfortunate Gryffindor tendency to over dramatise the smallest incidents.”

Lupin was standing very close to him now. Severus could feel the other man’s breath on his cheek.

For a moment he closed his eyes, hoping to restore his equilibrium, hoping that the werewolf would leave him alone. But Severus had never been a man who had his wishes answered, had he?

“Do I Severus? Do I really?” Lupin asked in that tight, clipped accent of his. Severus could hear the blood rushing in his ears, could feel his heart hammering in his chest.

“Are you sure that is what you truly believe?”

Severus’ mouth felt completely dry; there was no way he could speak right now.

“I am going with Ted and Andromeda for a while,” the werewolf said, “but I will not be gone long. Maybe we could talk later?”

Severus blanched.

“I really don’t know what you think we might have to talk about Lupin,” Severus said coldly, pulling himself together with not a little effort.

Lupin smiled one of his infernal, gentle smiles and Severus wanted to slap him.

He reached up and put a hand against Severus cheek. Severus felt the fingers burn him like a brand.

Then the werewolf turned on his heel and walked away.

Within a moment he was gone and Severus felt raw. He didn’t quite know what was happening to him. Surely it was just the mist, the infernal mist that had made him lose control like that? What if Lupin had not been completely unconscious? What if he had heard Severus sobbing like a child that has lost its mother, like someone who has lost a lov…..? No, he was not going to think about that right now.

Even if he were interested in Lupin. Even if could trust him, which Severus knew that he most certainly could not. The man’s fiancé had just died. What the hell was Lupin playing at? What sort of monster did Lupin take him to be? Severus might have been a spy. He might have done many things of which he was ashamed, but he had morals, standards. He was not about to take advantage of someone who was grieving. He would not let himself be used either.

He shivered.

But he couldn’t help observing Lupin. Even if it was surreptitiously. He couldn’t help watch the man trying to comfort Andromeda. There seemed to be no sign of the broken man that Lupin had been earlier at the funeral service. Except, perhaps, for a trace of sorrow in his eyes, a tightness around his mouth.

It was sometime later, after quite a bit of negotiation that Ted and Andromeda Tonks had been allowed to leave at last. They had gone some time ago and they had taken Narcissa and Lupin with them. A number of Aurors had escorted them back to the graveyard where Tonks’ funeral had been so dreadfully disrupted. Her coffin was still waiting to be interred, so they had left the mayhem at the Ministry to go and bury their daughter. Severus was unaccountably, very aware of Lupin’s absence.

But Draco had stayed. Narcissa seemed wobbly enough about what had happened earlier and she was not planning on putting Draco in any more danger, for the foreseeable future at least. Although Severus thought they would be safe enough now, he thought that as long as Harry was here at the Ministry everyone else would be okay. Severus thought that Harry had probably been the focus of the attack, though he was not about to tell his nephew that. Harry had behaved like the hero he was today. In full sight of a significant number of the wizarding world. What the people trapped in that graveyard had witnessed was true bravery and leadership. Harry’s actions would be reported and no doubt distorted, as indeed they always were, but enough people had seen the truth this time, that the papers would at least have to try to be accurate in their reporting.

Harry was finding it hard enough to deal with the increased adoration that he seemed already to be experiencing. He did not need to feel the added burden of guilt that would surely assail him if he realised that the attack might not have taken place at all if he had not been there.

But then again, perhaps it would have happened anyway. Who truly knew what went on in that madman’s brain?

Now that Severus was no-longer privy to the Dark Lord’s thoughts he worried that he might not be able protect Harry as well as he had always tried to do in the past. Although he thought, he was still able to take an educated guess about Voldemort’s intentions. Tonks’ murder would have not been planned, as until her last moments she had them completely fooled. Still there was no doubt that Voldemort would have made use of her death.

Severus should really have stopped Harry going to the funeral at all, he knew that now. He should have guessed that it would not be safe. Voldemort would have known that Harry would be there. His friendship with the young Auror had been no secret. They would just have to watch Harry even more closely from now on.

Harry and Draco were still sitting together in their corner. Harry had his arm around his boyfriend and was saying something to him, quietly. At least people were avoiding Draco now, giving him a wide birth. Harry could not have made it clearer how he felt about the blond boy. He had hardly stopped hugging and kissing him since they had reunited.

People didn’t seem to know what to make of it all.

Severus was currently listening in to the conversation that his mother was having with Rita Skeeter. The journalist had arrived just as the Tonks’ party had departed. Severus thought that they should be grateful that they, at least, had escaped the odious woman.

He was just relieved that he didn’t have to speak to her, his mother seemed to be doing fine all on her own. Eileen was nobody’s fool it seemed. She had only agreed to speak to the journalist if she got copy approval and she had brought along her own Quick Quotes Quill. The journalist had acquiesced quickly enough. Getting an interview with woman who was not only the mother of an infamous “ex” Death Eater and former spy, but was also the grandmother of the Chosen One was indeed a coup.

Skeeter was sitting beside them now, twittering away, seemingly unaware of how coldly Eileen was regarding her. She was commenting too on Harry and Draco’s relationship, obviously fishing for information. But Eileen refused to be drawn on that subject at all.

“If you want to speak to my grandson, then I’ll have to ask him how he feels about it. I don’t think he would be too happy with the idea, considering what’s been written about him and his family in the past.” Eileen was making a rather pointed reference to the recent articles about them, he knew. “I suppose whether Harry agrees to any interviews might well depend on how this article turns out,” Eileen continued.

Severus had to hide his smirk. Eileen knew full well that Harry was not planning on giving any interviews any time soon, but the idea that he may would help ensure that the article that Skeeter wrote on them might at least be fair.

Not that there weren’t plenty of people around who were saying good things about them at the moment.

Severus had already had several people thank him for his actions in the graveyard. Even, Mad-Eye-Moody had come stomping over as soon as they had arrived back and shaken Severus’ hand.

“You did well today laddie,” he’d said. “I have never liked you. Always thought you a slimy two-faced beggar. But when it was needed, when it counted, you came through and that means a lot in my book!” Severus had not known what to say to that

Severus had sought out the young Auror from the graveyard for himself though. Taking care of Eileen would not have been an easy task. His mother could be quite formidable when she wanted to be and he knew she had not been happy to leave him and Harry behind.

But the young Auror had waved away his thanks. His name was Robert Bones, but he insisted that his friends all called him Robbie and that, it seemed, included Severus as far as Robbie was concerned. Severus liked Robbie; he was laid back and friendly and seemed to get on equally well with Harry and Eileen, in the short time that he had spent with them when he and Harry had first arrived back at least. Robbie was actually twenty-three and had come to this country because of the death of his favourite aunt Amelia.

He and Severus had had quite a satisfying chat about the uselessness of the Ministry in general and Scrimgeour in particular. Although obviously they had had to keep their voices low.

Robbie it seemed wanted to avenge the death of his Aunt and as far as he could see Harry was his best option for that.

Severus considered discussing with Albus that the young man might be considered an asset to the Order of the Phoenix, before realising with a pang. That Albus was no-longer around to discuss these things, especially as his portrait had not yet woken up. For all intents and purposes Severus and Harry were the leaders of the light.

Severus thought he would discuss it with Harry instead, although he didn’t see a problem with the idea. Harry and Robbie had seemed to get on very well and had had a long discussion about Cricket. Not many wizards had even heard of the game. But Severus, whatever else he was, was a Yorkshire man. And everyone from Yorkshire knows what sort of a game Cricket is. The three of them, had spent a very pleasant twenty minutes talking about games they had seen or heard in Harry’s case. Apparently many a summer chore had been made less onerous for Harry when he heard Brian Johnstone on the radio reporting from Lords.*

He checked on Harry again. They were safe here, he knew, but Severus could not quite shake off the feeling of unease that left a tingling in his spine and had the hairs standing up on the back of his neck.

And so he kept surreptitiously watching his nephew from time to time, whilst wishing that he could get them away from here. Back home to Grimmauld Place. Harry and Draco were chatting with Ron and Hermione right now, though they were soon joined by Luna. It turned out that the strange Patronus creature he had seen belonged to her it was apparently a Crumple-Horned Snorkack. Severus had thought that these creatures did not exist, but obviously they did, otherwise Luna would not have been able to have one as her Patronus. She was a very strange child, Severus mused.

He wondered how much longer they would have to be here. The Ministry it seemed was not about to let anyone go until they had all been thoroughly questioned.

Scrimgeour kept scowling at him from across the Atrium, but Severus couldn’t bring himself to care. He just wanted to go home and sink up to his neck in a glorious hot bath, and then he would sleep. It was after seven in the evening now and it had been a very long day.

It was still very crowded at the Ministry. But finally someone must have decided to try and make things more comfortable for the numerous people still gathered in the Atrium. Severus could see a woman with a trolley wandering through the crowd selling food, she looked very familiar, He thought she was probably the witch that they saw at the end of each summer on the Hogwarts Express.

Harry had obviously spotted her too. He and Draco got up to saunter over. They were holding hands and they were smiling.

Severus turned to ask Eileen if she would like something, but she was currently showing Rita Skeeter what looked to him like baby pictures. Of him! It was all he could do not to grab the book from his mother’s grasp and run from the building. Severus thought he remembered that bearskin rug, it had tried to bite him when he was three. It had probably had enough of generations of toddlers widdling on it by then and had taken out its anger on Severus. He had been terrified of it he remembered. But he did not want to ask his mother what she wanted right now or he might end up being drawn into the conversation.

He stood up and stretched his legs, they were somewhat cramped, he had been sitting still for too long. From a distance he watched Harry stop his progress and freeze in horror as the boy spotted someone heading towards him and Draco. It was Molly Weasley.

She had called his name and was determinedly making her way towards him. She and Ginny must have not long arrived, because Severus certainly hadn’t seen her earlier. He began to make his way over to her, to intercept her, but it was slow progress there were a lot of people still here. Most of them sitting on the floor, without their wands no one had been able to produce chairs, so they made do with what they had, using wadded up robes as cushions and leaning against eachother.

Strangely enough Severus had not noticed before that people had obviously left seating for him and Eileen and for Harry. The chairs that he and Eileen sat on and the bench that Harry had commandeered, were not very comfortable. But they were an awful lot better than the floor. People moved aside for him now, and this time it didn’t seem to be from revulsion. They seemed to be exuding respect.

They patted him on the back as he passed by. Complete strangers greeted him, tried to grab his hand to thank him, Severus was astonished, he had been hated for so long, that kind words and praise sounded strange indeed to him. Thankfully he did not need to worry about that now, he needed to get to Harry, the boy looked stricken. He was still some distance away when Draco managed to intercept Molly, thereby allowing Harry to scuttle off in the direction of the food trolley.

Even from forty feet away he could hear her arguing with Draco. The weary witches and wizards that were gathered all around were watching the little interchange with sudden interest. Severus could not blame them. Being here for so long with no diversions was mind-numbingly dull.

However he did not wish for any more of Harry’s personal life to be aired in public. Severus realised that, quite a bit of the Chosen One’s family circumstances, not to mention his relationship with Draco had been revealed today

But Molly could be quite an unstoppable force when she wanted to be, certainly one that was outwith Draco’s experience. Her voice was getting louder and louder as she pressed her case with the blond boy. “I need to get to him, you cannot stop me! I need to say sorry,” Draco, though it seemed, was still determinedly not wavering. However much Molly ranted.

“Molly, calm down,” Severus said finally reaching her side. Draco looked hugely grateful to see him.

“I need to see Harry, Severus!” Molly wailed, “and this, boy would not let me! All day I have been worried about him, I have needed to talk, say that I was sorry. He needs to know that I did not mean what I said last night.” Molly seemed quite distraught and Severus could see that it must have been a hard day for her, back at Grimmauld Place, just her and Ginny, with nothing to do but worry and brood.

But Harry had been so happy earlier, for the first time in a very long time. And he had had one heck of a day too. They all had come to that.

“Let him get something to eat Molly, we’ll be back soon home soon, and then you can talk to Harry, they can’t keep us here much longer, we have been here for hours.

“Draco, go and tell Harry what you want to eat too. Tell Harry that he can see Molly later.”

Severus had his hand in the small of her back now and he was trying to lead her away.

Draco looked a bit uncertain for a moment or two. He rubbed his nose with the palm of his hand again. He was probably a bit worried about venturing through the crowd after the comments and rough-housing that he had had to put up with earlier. But Severus didn’t think anyone would bother the boy now. Not after Harry’s very public demonstration of affection. Severus thought that there would not be anyone in this room who would want to piss off the Chosen One right now.

Draco nodded at Severus and turned to follow after Harry.

Harry had reached the trolley and was ordering. He wasn’t really looking at the witch who was serving though; he was looking back at them, his face was a mask of anxiety, he was biting his lip.

The witch who was serving caught Severus’ eye just then, she had a very self-satisfied smirk on her toadlike face. Suddenly Severus knew why she was familiar. He had seen that simpering smile before. Too many times before.

She was someone who hated Harry, someone who could mean him no good, someone who Severus had last heard of at St Mungo’s, well away from his nephew

The witch that was serving Harry was Dolores Umbridge.

Severus turned towards his nephew and ran

“HARRY!!!” he shouted

At the same time another shout rang out.

A red-headed figure was also rushing towards Harry, but he was closer, he would get there first. Percy Weasley

“HARRY!! HARRY. NO!!!” Percy shouted

Harry’s face showed astonishment as Percy reached him and grabbed his arm to pull him away from Umbridge.

But it was too late

Harry had already touched the witch’s hand and the portkey that she must have been carrying, activated and whisked the three of them away.




* Brian Johnstone or *Jonners* was a British institution. He commentated on Cricket matches on bbc radio three for many years. Vernon Dursley would possibly have listened in, certainly to important matches. Brits and Australians have a friendly - ;-P - cricketing rivalry that goes back for more than a century. If you are interested go here to read more about "The Ashes" http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/the_ashes/history/2190854.stm


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